When Kevin Rudd took power in 2007, many were hopeful that the dark days of Howard’s racism were behind us – the days of kids in detention, refugees dying at sea trying to make it Australia, and the Tampa. Once again it’s time to stand up and be counted, to stand up for basic human rights. Saturday December 5.
2pm, state library (corner Swanston and Latrobe Sts, Melbourne)
When Kevin Rudd took power in 2007, many were hopeful that the dark days of Howard’s racism were behind us – the days of kids in detention, refugees dying at sea trying to make it Australia, and the Tampa.
Unfortunately Labor’s policies are not so different from the Liberals. More than 1,200 men, women and children are currently locked up in a maximum security detention centre on Christmas Island, while hundreds more are on boats in Indonesian harbours being used as pawns in a deadly game of diplomacy between Australia and Indonesia.
Once again it’s time to stand up and be counted, to stand up for basic human rights.
It is time to take a stand – demand Human Rights for All
* Welcome the asylum seekers
* Demand that refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia be accepted by Australia
* Process refugee claims in Australia – not on Christmas Island
* Call on the Australian government to increase the refugee intake.
Show your support for refugees – be part of this protest on Saturday, 5 December.
A number of speakers from refugee communities, and refugee advocates will speak at the rally.
Be there and spread the word widely through your networks.
Organised by Refugee Action Collective (Vic) and other refugee advocates, and endorsed by:
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Australian Tamil Congress, Justice and Freedom for Tamils, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Maritime Union of Australia, Electrical Trades Union, Construction, Forestry Mining & Energy Union-construction, Islamic Council, Australian Education Union, Liberty Victoria, The Greens, Friends of the Earth, Community Radio 3CR, South West Trades and Labour Council, Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective, Socialist Alliance, Researchers for Asylum Seekers, Socialist Alternative, Eelamurasu (Tamil community paper), Communist Party of Sudan (Melbourne), Merethan Vision, North East Refugee Organisation (NERO), Solidarity, National Tertiary Education Union, Socialist Party, Jewish Labour Bund, Australian Jewish Democratic Society, FMLN (Melbourne El Salvadorans, refugees from the 80s and 90s).
Further details: http://www.rac-vic.org/