Refugees keep protesting in Melbourne
There was uncontrollable energy as refugees led a march of hundreds of activists from a permanent protest encampment outside the Home Affairs Office in Docklands to Southern Cross Station, Melbourne’s biggest transport hub. The march, held on Friday night, grew as it made its way down Bourke Street. Passengers on trams waved and raised their fists in support.
The rally was the largest mobilisation for refugee rights in years. It comes after refugees have become increasingly active in the past year. There has been an occupation of a Labor Party office, a march from Melbourne to Canberra by a group of Tamil women and now the 40-day Tamil, Iranian and Afghan refugee encampment outside Home Affairs in Melbourne. Their demands have always been clear: permanent protection for all refugees.
The rally, organised by the Tamil Refugee Council, the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, and Unionists for Palestine, was called not only to show solidarity with the refugees, but also to stand against racist attacks they have endured—and resisted—since establishing their camp. Only a week ago, they had to stand up to a neo-Nazi group that turned up to intimidate them.
Yet, while we beat the Nazis last week, the real villains of this drama are in parliament: the Liberal and the Labor parties, which are responsible for the policies that have devastated so many refugee lives and that have normalised a regime of cruelty.
In 1992, Paul Keating’s Labor government established mandatory detention. The ALP has never rescinded this diabolical policy. But because the Liberal Party is viewed as even worse, many refugees have campaigned for Labor on its promises to deliver justice.
After the Albanese government was elected in May 2022, it did offer permanent protection to 19,000 refugees. But 12,000 were left in limbo after being deemed ineligible to be part of that deal. The government has indicated it doesn’t intend to lift a finger for these people.
Many of them are angry and feel betrayed. Now they are getting active to demand permanent protection.
As Friday’s march progressed, chants of “Labor! Labor! End this limbo!” and “Shame! Shame! Labor shame!” echoed.
The defiance has inspired refugees in Sydney and Brisbane to set up encampments outside the offices of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
The Tamil Refugee Council, the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, and Unionists for Palestine have called another rally at the encampment outside Home Affairs in Docklands for this Friday, 30 August, at 5:30pm.
The refugees say that they will continue their encampment until they win.
