The 2nd anniversary of Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generation saw protests in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Alice Springs against the continuing discrimination against Aboriginal People epitomised by the invasion of the Northern Territory under the name of intervention. Around 300 turned out in Melbourne for a rally starting at the MAYSAR Sport and Recreation Centre in Gertrude Street before marching through the streets to end on the steps of Parliament House.
Speakers at the initial rally included Uncle Bob Randall, Yankunytjatjara elder from Uluru with firsthand knowledge of the Intervention (and author of the ‘anthem of the Stolen Generations’ “Brown Skin Baby”; Lucy Honan Lucy Honan, representing the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective, organisers of the rally; Adam Bandt, Greens Senate candidate; and Steve Jolly, Socialist member of Yarra City Council, who spoke about the local version of the Intervention, Local Law 8. MC was Indigenous activist Sharon Firebrace.
After speeches at MAYSAR and the march to Parliament House there were more speeches: Uncle Bob Randall spoke again, along with well-known local activist Robbie Thorpe and Tim Gooden, just returned from the house building at the Ampilawatja protest camp.
Some of these speeches are available on YouTube, and the remainder are scheduled to appear on EngageMedia shortly.
(Added 19 Feb: three of the speeches are now available on EngageMedia -
http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/pc/videos/steve-jolly.mp4/view
http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/pc/videos/adam-bandt.mp4/view
http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/pc/videos/robbie-thorpe.mp4/view
Tim Gooden's is still in the pipeline.)(24 Feb - still having problems getting Tim's speech online as video, so have attached an MP3. Well worth listening to, even if it is just over 14 minutes ...)
Added 23 Feb: http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/pc/videos/tim-gooden.mp4/view
Earlier in the day there was a protest at the Canadian Consulate against the dispossession of First Nations and the holding of the Winter Olympics on stolen land. After the rally at Parliament House there was a further event at Federation Square – Woorrbadinda – Sorry… It’s just the first step – see the Songlines website. And to round off the day, there was Liberation Bound, Live Hip Hop and Reggae to raise money for the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective and the Ampilatwatja Walk Off.
Links:
The march: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xI2F_Yi7Gg
Bob Randall at the initial rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugep8thyBTA
Bob Randall at Parliament House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGB_N1Ivch4
Lucy Honan at the initial rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTYp1_0AWlE
Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective: http://www.maicollective.blogspot.com/
Olympics protest: http://uriohau.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-olympics-on-stolen-native-land-st...
See also a fuller account with photos on Melbourne Protests: http://melbourneprotests.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/national-day-of-protes...
