Rally: 'Justice for Ms Dhu, Rebecca Maher. Release the Children in the NT Jails'

A rally demanding justice for Ms Dhu and Rebecca Maher, two Aboriginal women who died in police custody. Family and organizers of the rally have called for a complete and independent inquiry into these two deaths, as well as more wide-ranging action to prevent Aboriginal deaths in custody. They demand that all information and evidence, including CCTV footage relating to these two deaths be released. The rally began at Belmore Park in central Sydney and marched to T.J. Hickey Park in Waterloo.

Rally: Aboriginal Children's Day

Organized by Grandmothers Against Removals (GMAR), this rally was held on Aboriginal Children's Day, not long after the public outrage at the horrendous cases of child abuse at Don Dale, and on the same day that The Australian newspaper published a cartoon vilifying Aboriginal people. The rally began at the Family Court and marched to the the NSW Parliament, where impassioned speeches calling for nation-wide justice, particularly for Aboriginal children and families, were made.

From the organizers:

"The number of Aboriginal children in "out of home care", is higher than ever and rising rapidly. Far more children are being taken today than during the Stolen Generations of the 20th Century. The numbers have increase 400 per cent since Kevin Rudd's "apology" for the crimes of the past... Following protests by Grandmothers Against Removals in May this year, Brad Hazzard, NSW Minister for Family and Community Services (FACS), made commitments to reduce the number of children in care. One of these commitments was for a review of all cases of Aboriginal children taken from their families over the last 24 months. This has no been reduced to 12 months. GMAR, along with the Aboriginal Legal Services NSW, have called for this review to be independent and Aboriginal controlled."

More Info:

https://www.facebook.com/GMARsydneybranch/

http://stopstolengenerations.com.au/

Rally: Justice for the Children Tortured in Don Dale and All Prisons

A rally expressing outrage as a result of the Four Corners program on ABC TV. From the organizers:
"The video footage on Four Corners of Aboriginal children being tortured in Don Dale correction centre have shocked the country. But this is the tip of the iceberg of the racist ‘child protection’ and prison systems that subject Aboriginal children to institutionalised child abuse across the continent on a daily basis.

Malcolm Turnbull and Adam Giles have announced a Royal Commission into the centre - but their own racist Intervention and “tough on crime” policies systematically breach the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC). 

Countless inquiries have already been done. We already know the facts of this case. We demand justice immediately. The prison guards responsible must be sacked and charged. So too should the NT Government who have consistently demonised and criminalised Aboriginal children and bear ultimate responsibility for this abuse. Minister Scullion also must be sacked.

Across Australia, Black children make up 50 per cent of the prison system. More children are being forcibly removed today than at any point in Australian history - taken from their families and put into foster care or prison cells".

Black Lives Matter, Sydney, Australia

A rally protesting against police brutality, deaths in custody and racial profiling, specifically against Aboriginal people and other black and indigenous peoples. Held in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA. The rally started at Town Hall and proceeded to march to the U.S. consulate in Martin Place.

* Click through images for full screen view

Happy NAIDOC Week!

Celebrating and commemorating the National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee Week - a week with an important history of resistance.
Images of the NAISDA Dancers in Hyde Park, Sydney.

More Photos From The Waterloo Aboriginal Tent Embassy

An Evening at the Waterloo Aboriginal Tent Embassy

A few photos of some of the members of the Waterloo Aboriginal Tent Embassy, who are protesting against the proposed development of the massive public housing estate in inner Sydney. Residents are fearful they will be displaced by a process of upheaval and gentrification.

Waterloo Aboriginal Tent Embassy

Following on from the successes of the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy last year, Aunty Jenny Munro and her supporters have now ventured on a new project - setting up a new tent embassy to protest against the forceable removal of public housing tenants, many of whom are Aboriginal, from the Waterloo flats, scheduled for 2017.
The forces of gentrification in tandem with government and developers are again at work, displacing residents and dislocating communities. These photographs are from the first day of the new Embassy on the 25th of June, 2016.

She's Getting The Band Back Together...

Following on from the successes of the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy last year, Aunty Jenny Munro and her supporters have now ventured on a new project - setting up a new tent embassy to protest against the forceable removal of public housing tenants, many of whom are Aboriginal, from the Waterloo flats, scheduled for 2017.

The forces of gentrification in tandem with government and developers are again at work, displacing residents and dislocating communities.

World's Biggest Lock On

A rally protesting against the NSW government legislation that will see jail sentences for up to 7 years for certain forms of protest, including hindering private company business (for example, of mining companies).

Here, a variety of interests voice their concern, including environmental groups, anti-CSG and Lock The Gate groups, the Knitting Nanas, Aboriginal Rights activists and civil liberties organisations. The rally took place outside the NSW Parliament House.

*Click through images for full screen view

Save TJ Hickey Park Rally

A rally to save TJ Hickey Park and the memory of the circumstances of TJ Hickey's death. A delegation met with the state minister to demand that the commemorative park not be destroyed as part of the development of Redfern Waterloo. The result of the meeting saw the minister pledge to visit the park with family and community to discuss how the issue might move forward. A small but important success for the family and its supporters in a long struggle for justice.

The Power of Mother Nature - Giant Waves off the East Coast

Some shots of the enormous waves that pounded the shoreline off Sydney, generated by a 1500km low pressure system that moved down the east coast of Australia. These shots were taken around Coogee.

King Tide and Low Pressure System at Coogee

On the way home for a nice early night but couldn't resist getting the camera out when I hit Coogee.
A combination of a massive low pressure system off the east coast of Australia and a king tide produced gigantic and devastating waves.
For anyone who knows Coogee, you know how massive these seas are. For those who don't, there's a beach under that water somewhere...
Locals say it's the biggest they've seen. The broadway is all but destroyed.

Sorry Day - Bring The Children Home, GMAR Rally

Rally to the offices of Family and Community Services demanding the cessation of the long-standing and continuing practice of removing Aboriginal children from their families.  Grandmothers Against Removal.

Dancing at Koojay

Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy Exhibition - Grassroots Activism In Action

Photographs of some of the photographers (and curator) meeting for the upcoming exhibition, 'Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy - Grassroots Activism In Action'. 
Artists: Peter Crowfoot | Jarek Gasiorek | John Janson–Moore | Glenn Lockitch | Barbara McGrady | Lorna Munro | Curated by Sandy Edwards
Venue: 107 Projects, 107 Redfern Street, Redfern.
Opening:  NEXT Thursday the 26th of May, 6pm-8pm and runs until the 5th of June.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/704561336353303/?active_tab=highlights

Borroloola Clan Demonstrates at Glencore Offices

A group of traditional land owners from Borroloola in the Northern Territory demonstrates outside the Sydney offices of multinational company, Glencore, in protest of the polluting of the McArthur River from one of the world’s biggest zinc, lead and silver mines. 90% of fish stocks have reportedly been found with dangerously high levels of lead, and so these protesters brought with them evidence - poisoned fish all the way from Borroloola.
More info found at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/19/glencore-zinc-mine-must-be-shut-down-say-traditional-owners?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

ARTIVISM - Aboriginal Tent Embassy at Circular Quay

Justice for the Bowarville Three