Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET)

Media Release

Solidarity Rally Stop the Intervention in Northern Territory
Saturday 20th June at 12noon, State Library, cnr Swanston & LaTrobe sts.

and

The Public Meeting Saturday 20th, 3pm, Trades Hall, Meeting Room 1.

Melbourne Aboriginal rights solidarity rally and public meeting

On Saturday 20th June supporters of Aboriginal rights in Melbourne will be
marking the two-year anniversary of the Northern Territory intervention
with a solidarity rally in the CBD, followed by a public meeting at Trades
Hall. The events will feature live music and a range of speakers,
including a woman from the Alice Springs town camps.

“We have organized the rally in order to show our disgust and opposition
to the Rudd Government’s expansion of Howard’s racist intervention policy,
and to stand in solidarity with the Indigenous people of this country. We
will also be holding a public meeting as an opportunity for people to
learn more about the effects of the NT intervention and the direction the
Rudd Government is taking it, the meeting will also involve workshops and
planning for the campaign. The governments attempt to take Aboriginal
land, close homelands, and wind-back hard-won Aboriginal
self-determination will not be ignored here in Melbourne” said Joe Lorback
from the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective.

“The Rudd Government’s approach to Indigenous people is dominated by
hypocrisy and blackmail! With one hand they sign the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous people, and with the other they refuse to re-instate
the Racial Discrimination Act, instead expanding the policies of the
intervention and forcing Indigenous people to give up their land in return
for desperately needed housing and services,” said Marisol Salinas from
the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective

“Jenny Macklin’s treatment of Alice Springs town camp residents is
absolutely disgraceful. She has smeared Aboriginal run organizations, such
as Tangentyere Council, in an attempt to take the land and control from
them. Rather then acknowledging the fact that the lack of housing and
infrastructure in the town camps is due to a complete lack of funding, she
is instead giving total control over the town camps to the Northern
Territory Government which has continually failed them” said James Brennan
from the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective

Nathan Lovett-Murray, founder of Payback Records, has organized local
Indigenous hip hop artists to perform at the rally. “Little G, Mr Morgz,
Alter Egoz, and Tjimba and the Yung Warriors will be at the rally raising
their voices against the discriminatory policies of the government, and in
support of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory having control over
their lives,” said Nathan.

The Solidarity Rally will take place on Saturday 20th June at 12pm at the
State Library, cnr Swanston & LaTrobe sts.
The public meeting also on Saturday will be at 3pm at Trades Hall Meeting
Room 1.

For comment and details:
Joe Lorback: 0434 127 661
Marisol Salinas: 9419 8700 - 0413 597 315