Thousands of people marched through the Sydney CBD on Sunday July 21 to express their anger at the ongoing indefinite detention of refugees and people seeking asylum on Manus Island and Nauru. The slogan of the march and rally – “Six years too long!” – spoke to the reality that hundreds of men and women have suffered at our hands, despite seeking safety on our shores.
Speaking from Manus Island, Tamil refugee Shamindan Karapatne thanked the gathered crowds for their solidarity and the hope they offered to people who are becoming increasingly desperate and distressed.
“Those of us on #Manus and #Nauru are overwhelmed by your unconditional support and solidarity.
“The solidarity expressed today by thousands of Australians at marches and rallies shows those of us on Manus and Nauru that we are not alone.
“Everyday people are standing with us and fighting for our freedom. Now the Australian government knows that Australians will not remain silent and will not give up the fight until all are free.”
Despite pressure from the Australian community, every medical body in the country, human rights organisations and the United Nations, the Morrison government remains determined to maintain indefinite offshore detention as a so-called “deterrent” to other people who might seek our protection.
This, despite the fact there is no evidence that resettling the remaining 800 or so men and women in Australia or a suitable third country would have any impact. The “US deal”, under which at least 531 refugees have settled there, has not led to increasing numbers of people attempting to arrive by boat.
Rather than solving this humanitarian crisis of their own making, the government remains hell-bent on repealing the “Medevac” law under which decisions about emergency medical evacuations are placed in the hands of doctors rather than bureaucrats. Their bill to undo Medevac passed the House of Representatives three days after the nationwide marches, and will come before the Senate in November.
Every speaker at the rally urged all people of conscience not to let this happen.
Nick Reimer reminded the crowd that the Medevac bill, along with the successful campaign to bring all children (and their families) off Nauru and the earlier “Let them stay” campaign, showed what the community is capable of when we rise up and work together for what is right.
In our collective action, Mr Reimer said, we are building an alternative community “of solidarity, justice, peace and freedom – to close the murderous camps, to bring every last woman, man and child in them to safety and to [finally] end this nightmare.”
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To get involved contact local action groups: Inner West for Refugees; Wentworth for Refugees.
