Antinuclear

Terms like “mob violence”, “thuggery” and “riot” have been used by journalists and politicians to describe a protest where no one was injured, no property was damaged and no one was arrested.

Selectively edited television footage has been used to poison public opinion against protesters, giving the false impression they posed a threat to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott. Rather than speak to the small crowd about Abbott’s earlier comment that the Tent Embassy should move on, Gillard and Abbott chose to run from a function they were attending about 100 metres away from the Tent Embassy.

The media’s portrayal of Gillard and Abbott as victims of Aboriginal aggression is deeply ironic. Such a portrayal is possible only when deep racism and ignorance are the norm in society.

In reality, the policies carried out by the Gillard government, and before that the John Howard government, of which Abbott was a leading member, makes them among the principle oppressors of Aboriginal people of recent times.

Green Left Weekly witnessed the loud and passionate protest, which involved some jostling incited by overly aggressive police in its latter stages. However, no reasonable person who witnessed it would describe it as a “violent” protest, much less a “riot”.

Several videos shot by protesters have emerged showing police violently shoving people in the throat without provocation and verbally abusing people after Gillard and Abbott had left.

Tent Embassy founder Michael Anderson told the Sydney Morning Herald on January 31: “I was quite shocked at the behaviour of some police. As far as I was concerned, all they had to do after the Prime Minister’s vehicle left was disband and everyone else would have as well.

“Instead they linked arms, unholstered their weapons and began confronting protesters. It was an act of incitement on their part.”

Despite their embarrassing over-reaction, police — not known for their leniency towards Aboriginal people — admitted there was no need for arrests…..

Rather than confront the causes of Aboriginal anger, the media have chosen to moralise about protesters’ “bad behaviour” and focus on political games being played by the opposition.

Among those moralising about the protest was Attorney General Nicola Roxon who, egged on by the ABC’s 7.30host Chris Uhlmann, declared protesters guilty of violent acts on January 30……

The Northern Territory intervention marks a shameful return to the paternalism of past Australian governments. The intervention has removed Aboriginal people’s control over their land and lowered living standards.

Roxon also attacked the right to protest, saying the “ballot box” is the only legitimate way to influence politics. Suggesting such a thing to Aboriginal people is ridiculous, given the shared racism of the two big parties and their refusal to address Aboriginal concerns for decades…..

Aboriginal people have every right to be angry, and public protest is one of the most important avenues available to them to make their voices heard.

About 2000 people had gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and to reaffirm the struggle for Aboriginal sovereignty. Several Aboriginal leaders spoke of the history of the embassy as a place where Aboriginal people asserted their existence and demanded change in the face of a political establishment that wants to ignore them.

This is why the Tent Embassy remains important today. Its work is a long way from finished.  http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/49929