‘Black GST‘ is an aboriginal rights activism group, calling for Genocide to end, Sovereignty to be acknowledged and a Treaty to be negotiated with Australian Aborigines. Black GST has a protest camp at the Kings Domain Gardens in Melbourne as well as has set up a ‘Stolenwealth Games‘ website.
Black GST representative Robbie Thorpe has delivered a notice for the Queen, who is presently resident at Government House in Melbourne, demanding redress:
“We have exhausted all other legal avenues in this country to get these fundamental legal issues resolved. Despite victory in the Federal Court of Australia to force the Australian Government to pass legislation to make genocide a crime in Australia, these issues are still not being addressed.
“Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign ruler of this nation and she is ultimately responsible for the running of this country. Unless she instructs the initiation of legal redress within the next 28 days, I will be taking this case further to the International Criminal Court.
“Our people never ceded Sovereignty over these lands; we have never given consent for what is effectively an undeclared war on our lands and against our people. We must have custodial rights over our sacred sites and the recognition of our traditional ceremony and practice entrenched in law.
“Unless The Queen instructs to make progress on these fundamental legal issues, she will be facing the prospect of an International Criminal Court summons.”
Along with the Black GST protest camp, anti-capitalism activists have railed against the Kristallnacht-like cleansing of Melbourne streets of graffiti artists and ‘undesirables,’ similar to the street-sweeping which took place in Sydney before the 2000 Olympic Games. Melbourne city officials have declared a war on graffiti, so the protesters have taken their art to the web…
As are all spaces, no?
Australian Aborigines have the shortest lifespan of any group of people in OECD nations, fully 20 years shorter than other Australians.
It’s time to stop dumping millions into amusements for the wealthy- and start taking care of our own.
-weez
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Ha – I like the photo with the police tape! It IS Melbourne however, maybe he’s just part of the mafia.
Comment by Flashman 03.19.06 @ 10:41 amSome might call it yellow tape, but in that photo, it’s pure GOLD. Photo credit to FDB.
Comment by weez 03.19.06 @ 11:59 amCan’t they arrest that guy just for being dog ugly?
Comment by Fair Enough 03.19.06 @ 5:03 pmKristallnacht might be a bit far.
They’ve painted over some walls and implemented a plan for dealing with the homeless that was largely misrepresented in the mainstream media, but accepted as reasonable and positive by most social workers – but as far as I know, the Melbourne City Council has no plans of destroying thousands of Melbourne shops and synagogues, nor do they intend to kill hundreds of people.
The Night of Broken Glass refers to an actual atrocity – comparing it to cleaning up a bit of graff cheapens it’s meaning.
Besides that, good post. I believe that would be the symbol of Peace Through Superior Firepower – a Reagan concept, if I recall.
Comment by Dr. Cam 03.19.06 @ 10:39 pmKristallnacht was a way of getting the ‘undesirables’ out of sight, Cam. While the Melbourne authorities are not breaking as much glass nor rounding people into concentration camps, they certainly worked hard to get the less ‘attractive’ people and street scenery under wraps.
In the weeks prior to the 2000 Olympics, Kings Cross was turned into a ghost town with nary a shadowy streetcorner nor streetperson to be found. The Melbourne experience leading up to the Commonwealth Games seems the same, so saith my Reporter On The Scene.
Comment by weez 03.19.06 @ 10:51 pmThat’s my point really. The word kristallnacht refers to a far greater crime than a few dabs of paint and a homeless housing scheme.
It’s like saying that the logging of Tasmanian forests is a Holocaust.
There’s just no comparison, in my mind.
Personally, as a Melbourne resident, I haven’t really noticed any difference. Despite the state government’s tough talking, they’ve declined to actually charge any of the myriad spruikers/preachers/performers who are ignoring the Games Zones.
And let’s not forget that there is a camp full of scallywags right in the middle of the action.
Comment by Dr. Cam 03.20.06 @ 4:05 amUnfortunately the GST letter to Her Maj will be intercepted by her Men In Grey and she will never see it.
Comment by brownie 03.31.06 @ 10:27 amLeave a comment
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