Wilson picketted over crimes on Manus and Nauru

A morning picket of a Wilson car park in Brisbane’s CBD on 6 November was broken up by police.

Wilson is contracted to provide guards at the Australian government’s Nauru and Manus Island refugee detention centres. It has been under the spotlight since the Moss Review, released in April, revealed nearly 70 reported cases of sexual abuse in the Nauru camp.

Addressing the crowd, Duncan Hart compared Wilson’s treatment of refugees to torture. He said that the company’s mission was to replicate the conditions refugees are fleeing from, in order to deter them from seeking asylum in Australia.

“There are significant concerns about Wilson’s concern for human rights”, said Andy Paine, an anarchist and refugee activist.

Reeshan Zakiyya, a member of Socialist Alternative, said the blockade was part of “a string of actions across the country” targeting Wilson for its treatment of refugees in detention.

“Groups such as doctors and students have been escalating their actions”, she said.

She thought that protests like the car park picket could have an impact on the companies that are profiting from Australia’s detention policy. “There is every possibility we can pressure Wilson to withdraw from its contracts”, she said.

After a number of cars were turned away from the car park, police pushed the protesters away from its entrance.