Australia’s crappy response to peaceful Aboriginal protest
It makes me sick. Now the media is focused on some poor blighter in Canberra who let somebody know the whereabouts of Tony Abbott. Is that the biggest issue that they can come up with? Oh no – they’ve got another one – Julia’s shoe.
No wonder the media is moving hastily away from its first response – which was to blame Aboriginals for their (legitimate and peaceful) protest. After all, we all saw the TV footage – the only violence came , unprovoked, from the police. And then we get sanctimonious pronouncements from Warren Mundine and Tom Gooda – honorary whites if ever there were!
The real issue is the continued dispossession of Aboriginal land, in the interests of mining corporations, and especially the nuclear industry. The Northern Territory Intervention might indeed have done some good things. But forcing people off their homelands is a bad thing. The new draft Constitution has some good changes, respectful to Aboriginals, but also contains a cunningly worded permission for the land dispossession to continue.
Now very poor whiteys will be penalised, in the new Northern Territory Intervention too – that makes it look as if it’s not discriminating against Aboriginals.
Now why was the media so friendly to that “people’s protest” in Western Australia – some months back? Remember, when Gina Rinehart, (Australia’s richest woman) all in her pearls, came out in the streets along with wealthy socialites, to protest against the mining tax? Why was that protest not met with tough police, and media denunciation? – Christina Macpherson
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Excellent comments Christina and as usual succinct and spot-on ,,, media controlled bias needs addressing!
It’s sad to see the corruption of truth, that is upon/around us in so many facets of our lives … Viva l’America eh!
Let us hope for some more changes within our consciousness to lift ourselves above the dreary mindlessness that is American politics and corporate unscrupulous ‘scallywags’ …
Thanks again for your tireless work on all the subjects you so rightfully address …
Goodonyamate …
James Mason
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Without condoning or criticizing any party involved in the protests, I believe it is misguided to say that anything was unprovoked by the police. This was not a matter of a peaceful and legitimate protest, as questionable as that is, but a matter of protecting the prime minister of Australia. Like her or not (I for one dislike our prime minister) she is the head of our government and must be protected, whatever the cost, whatever the agony. Every country in the world would protect their head of government regardless of the price. My biggest complaint is that the police allowed the leaders of our major political parties to be put in any danger at all, when they could have prevented any possible violence by eliminating the threat immediately.
This was not a protest against a comment made by Tony Abbott, rather an opportunity to express hatred towards non Aboriginals. To quote a teenage Aboriginal who helped burn our flag and then spat on it, “I have always wanted to do that, ever since my father did that”
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From the TV coverage that I saw, it was clearly the police who were provoking, as I saw one policeman hitting an Aboriginal man.
And where is the evidence that Julia Gillard was in any danger?
Sure, the Aboriginal protesters did bang on the glass. But it never looked as if they were threatening violence to the prime minster. It looked as if her security people panicked.
Julia Gillard would have been better advised to face up to the Aboriginal protesters. There are some good things that she could truthfully have said – about the proposed consititutional changes. Her security people didn’t give her a chance.
As for the flag – why wouldn’t the Aboriginals want to burn that flag – with its symbol of British colonialism, of their country’s invasion, sitting up there proudly?
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Why shouldn’t we know where the PM and Leader of the Opposition are?
The PM’s security was hopeless, probably will be the laughing stock of the world – total over-reaction
The conservative media decrying the use of violence to solve problems – so what was Australia doing in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, etc, etc? I seem to remember the same media fully supporting these acts of violence which in most cases turned into terrorism.
When the Tent Embassy was set up 40 years ago Gary Foley colourfully answered the same criticisms of Aboriginal behaviour. Then the criticisms came from outside. It’s sad to see 40 years later similar criticism coming from within. How quickly some people forget their past and their responsibility to those worse off.
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