Close The Camps, Bring Them Here - Sydney Rally

Around 5000 people rallied in central Sydney to protest against the refugee camps on Manus and Nauru Islands, and against the radical policies from successive Australian governments of off-shore detention and boat turnbacks. The protesters demanded that the refugees and asylum seekers held in the camps be immediately resettled in Australia.
The rally marched from Sydney Town Hall to the PNG consulate, calling on the PNG government to commit to closing Manus Island detention camp, before marching through the city to Circular Quay.

Motion to Return the Gweagle Shield and Spears Passed

In unanimously passing a motion moved by Greens MLC, David Shoebridge, the NSW Parliament has finally signalled its support for the return of the Gweagle Shield and Spears, which were stolen by Captain Cook and his party after they fired on a Gweagle man, Cooman, in 1770 on the shores of what is now known as Botany Bay. The shield and spears have since been housed by the British Museum and the Cambridge Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, who are refusing to return them to their rightful owners.
Rodney Kelly, a descendant of Cooman, has been fighting for the rightful repatriation of these artefacts and will be travelling to the UK in October to demand their release. He and his family were at the NSW Parliament House to witness today's parliamentary motion, the first of its kind in Australia, historical because it acknowledges (intentionally or not) the first European act of aggression that foreshadowed the invasion of Australia by the British.

Our Rainbow Wedding

With a potentially divisive plebiscite on marriage equality on the horizon, Rainbow Campus campaigners at Sydney University organised a series of non-legal marriages of Rainbow couples as a demonstration of love and to bring attention to the ongoing discrimination against the LGBTQIA community.

Return The Gweagal Shield and Spears

The Gweagal Shield is perhaps the most important invasion-era historical artefact in existence. This wooden shield with a bullet hole in it is evidence of literally the first shot fired in what would become known as the Frontier Wars.
A series of gunshots by Captain Cook's party at what is now called Botany Bay in 1770, this incident was proof of the first violent encounter by Europeans with Aboriginal Australia, specifically with a Gweagal man, Cooman, who was defending his country. His shield, along with spears, were seized by Cook's party as bounty and has since been housed by the British Museum.
Rodney Kelly, a descendent of Cooman, is demanding the return of the shield and spears, and with the support of the Greens' David Shoebridge, is asking the NSW Parliament to support a movement in the House calling for the immediate repatriation of the artefacts. Rodney will be travelling to the UK in October to formally call for the shield and spears to be returned by the British Museum to their rightful owners.  Rodney Kelly is seeking support for this cause from all levels of government, media, other museums and community to put pressure on the British Museum.

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