[southnews] Aborigines protest Aussie PM's NT 'land grab' Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 02:13:56 -0500 (CDT) Aborigines protest PM's NT 'land grab' AAP July 14, 2007 01:20pm INDIGENOUS people will never agree to the abolition of the permit system in the Northern Territory nor the land rights they fought so hard to earn, a Sydney protest has been told. Around 250 demonstrators marched today from Redfern, inner-Sydney's Aboriginal heart, to the city's town hall to protest against the federal government's intervention in Northern Territory indigenous communities. The marchers met at The Block in Redfern at 10.30am (AEST) before making their way to Sydney's CBD where they were addressed by Aboriginal leaders. The protesters were angry about the federal government's compulsory acquisition of remote indigenous communities and the abolition of the permit system, which they consider a land grab. The demonstrators waved banners bearing the message, "Justice, where the bloody hell are ya?'' and bellowed chants about land rights as they held up traffic on the 30-minute march into the city. Pat Turner, a member of the Combined Aboriginal Organisations (CAO) and chief executive of the new National Indigenous Television (NITV) service, told the crowd that a six-month emergency intervention to tackle child abuse would be acceptable. But it had to be done in partnership with local Aborigines and be followed up with a fully-funded long-term strategy to provide services. "We'll show you how to do it properly,'' she said. "Leave the police at home, leave the soldiers at home, and let the real workers come in.'' Ms Turner said Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory had endured a long, hard struggle to win land rights in 1975 and were not about to give them up. "We will not say yes to removing the permit system and we will never agree to the removal of inalienable freehold title,'' she said. She called on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd to differentiate himself from the government's position or risk losing the black vote. The Sydney protest is part of a national day of action against the intervention being held in every capital, as well as Alice Springs. ____________________________________________ Indigenous intervention is a 'land grab' AAP July 14, 2007 03:49pm THE Federal Government has sent police into indigenous communities in the Northern Territory to access valuable uranium deposits, not to protect children from abuse, a rally was told in Melbourne. About 30 demonstrators mingled with shoppers and tourists as two didgeridoo players kicked off the Stop the Genocide on Stolen Aboriginal Land rally at 12.30pm (AEST) today on the corner of Collins and Swanston Streets in the city centre. Protest organiser Robbie Thorpe, who was also behind the Black GST and Camp Sovereignty protests during the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne last year, said the Federal Government had no interest in the welfare of indigenous children. "It's the only bit of land the commonwealth government hasn't got access to and there are minerals like uranium there,'' Mr Thorpe told the rally. "That's what it's about. "How can you believe Howard? He don't give a f**k about our kids.'' Mr Thorpe told the crowd that indigenous Australians had suffered from 100 years of abuse. "You (the Federal and State Governments) have taken our people to the brink,'' Mr Thorpe said. "There has been 100 years of human rights' crimes against our people,'' he said. "Things are not going to change until there is a treaty (with the indigenous community) in this country.'' The rally ended with protesters walking around the block along Swanston Street, Flinders Street and Collins Street before ending at City Square. The protest was part of a national day of action being held in capital cities and Alice Springs. ____________________________________________________________________ Protest Against Invasion Of Aboriginal Communities Saturday, 14 July 2007, 12:23 pm Press Release: ImagineNative Auckland Protest Against The Invasion Of Aboriginal Communities And Children The white Australian Government have a long and dark history of treating Indigenous peoples like animals has been furthered by their current invasion of Aboriginal communities with military force and their advocating of compulsory invasive medical testing for all Aboriginal children. ImagineNative Action is a newly established group committed to building solidarity between Indigenous and marginalised communities in Aotearoa and globally for the defense of our land and people against racism and exploitation. Spokesperson Te Kanikani Tangata Hara said "We call on the people of Aotearoa to gather together in solidarity with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters in Occupied Australia by coming to the rally and march on the 14 th of July starting at Britomart and going to the Australian consulate to show Aboriginal peoples that we stand in solidarity with them. We hope to lift the spirits of the people and strengthen their resolve." Spokesperson Te Kanikani Tangata Hara said "John Howard does not care about the well being of Aboriginal children or communities; if he did then why has he taken away funding for health and social programs in Aboriginal communities? Howard's true objective is to destroy the Aboriginal people's will to resist colonisation and alienate their land in order to exploit the land economically through mining and nuclear waste dumps." John Howard is blatantly lying about the motives behind his action which this fact summary clearly shows: ' In fact, substantiated cases of child abuse against Northern Territory Aboriginal children in 2005-06 were proportionately less than the rest of the population, constituting 19% of the total, whilst Aboriginal people make up 29% of the Territory population. ' 75% of Aboriginal Men never or rarely drink - compared to 87% of white Australian men who drink regularly. ' Majority of communities are dry alcohol free by their own choice. Those that are not have severely restricted sales of liquor. ' Community run social and health programs have been closed or progressively under-funded by the Howard colonial government ' A lot of pedophilia is perpetrated by white mine workers who trade alcohol & petrol to vulnerable Aboriginals for access to children. ' All Aboriginal children under 16 forced to undergo invasive medical testing this involves anal/vaginal examination and penetration despite fact this constitutes assault under Australian colonial law ' There are no troops invading white Australian homes where children are abused & neglected. ' Since 1995 over a half dozen prior reports similar to Little Children Are Sacred have been ignored. ' Two mining companies have already submitted applications to significantly expand their operations into Aboriginal lands. ' This year John Howard is behind in the polls. ends http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00157.htm The archives of South News can be found at http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/