<nettime> woomera detention centre

[traceyb <tracey.benson@anu.edu.au>]

Please circulate as widely as possible.

WOOMERA REFUGEES
On Saturday 22 September over 300 people from Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra
and Adelaide met at the infamous Woomera Detention Centre in South
Australia. The rally was intended as a show of solidarity and support for
the detainees of the centre. Some of the refugees in the centre have been
in detention for over five years - with still no idea of when their
application to stay in Australia will be processed.

It started out as a peaceful protest with cheers and waves being exchanged
between the protesters and the detainees. With over 500 metres between the
prelimary fence (where the protesters were instructed to stay) and the
centre, it was difficult to make contact any other way.

Trouble started however, when a large All Terrain Vehicle and riot police
assembled outide the centre and proceeded to use water cannons and tear gas
on the detainees trapped inside. No one could believe at first that this
was happening in front of them as there was no provacation from either side.

Protesters started to run toward the camp, entering the prohibited zone,
calling for the truck to be removed. There was chaos, people were crying
and screaming at the police to stop. Amongst the demonstrators a vote was
decided that we would not move back behind the fence until the Assault
Vehicle and riot police had gone.

After some time, the message came through that the truck would go if we
went behind the fence for fifteen minutes. This was a lie - as people
assembled behind the fence the truck recommenced its assault on the
detainees - causing more anger and frustration amongst the protesters. This
was a deliberate act of violence towards the detainees and a show of power
to the demonstrators.

It comes as no surprise however that Phillip Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration) has blamed the protesters for the incident. He has claimed
that it was a planned action between the detainees and the protesters. This
is totally untrue - and anyone who was there could verify that fact. All we
knew was that the detainees were aware that we were coming, but joint
actions were not planned.

According to sources in Sydney who have contacts inside the centre, it is
understood that no one was injured, thankfully. But still the horror of
witnessing these events stays with all who were there.

This protest was intended to show the detainees that there are people who
do care about their plight, and to attempt to break down the government's
circle of lies which seek to keep us all divided.

They are human beings who deserve the right to a life free from fear and
abuse. They should be in the community and given appropriate support so
they cam live normal life. They should not be further victimised because of
the movement towards war and racism being staged by Bush, Howard, et.al.

It is a disgrace what happened at the World Trade Centre - but to attack
any person or individual without proof is undemocratic,irresponsible and
unjust.

To blame boat people and label them as illegal and terrorists does not
solve anything. This sort of racist scapegoating is used by governments as
a way of deferring from the fact that they have cut tens of thousands of
jobs, slashed spending on education and health and sold off all most public
assets.

OPEN THE BORDERS - CLOSE THE CAMPS - FREE THE REFUGEES

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