En Passant

Today our good mate Thomas Wales came to the Refugee Art Project studio in Parramatta. Thomas is a traditional landowner and spokesperson for the Thanakwith people in the Weipa area of far north Queensland. ‪#‎LetThemStay

Stan Grant tells us about the genocide and racism against Aborigines. IQ2 Racism Debate: Stan Grant

Aboriginal dispossession served capitalist interests, argues Paddy Gibson in socialist magazine Solidarity, but Aboriginal people have remained a “problem” from the point of view of Australia’s rulers ever since. To read whole article click here.

Here was a great opportunity to build a united mass movement against the oppression of women and indigenous Australians. Instead the focus was on getting the state to take top down action that does absolutely nothing to address domestic violence, anti-abortion bigotry, racism or women’s oppression. This is the very state which drives and reinforces that racism and oppression. There is nothing to cheer about in banning Brown and Newman.

It says much about the state of Australian society today that we have a great footballer very possibly being hounded out of his job because he is black while a sleazy untrustworthy and biased politician who has allegedly abused entitlements for decades will in all probability keep her job of throwing Labor politicians out of Parliament.

‘The Australian Government plan to Shut Down Aboriginal Peoples Communities and Homelands so on June 1st access to Parliament House will be Shut. Commonwealth Avenue Bridge will be closed.’

Paddy Gibson in Solidarity magazine looks at the renewed push to close remote Aboriginal communities and how it began with the NT Intervention from 2007. He argues: It took mass mobilisation and the militant black politics of the late 1960s and 1970s to turn back assimilation and put self-determination and liberation on the agenda. The […]

Paddy Gibson writes: Uncle Ray was a key link binding together many groups and struggles here in Sydney, across Australia and indeed across the world. His compassion and patience welcomed many people into the struggle and ensured they had a meaningful role to play. His passing is a tragic blow. But he lives on in the struggle. Solidarity sends its condolences to all Ray’s friends, family and comrades. Rest in Peace with your ancestors my dear Uncle, you have earned this rest more than anyone.

We couldn’t have Aboriginal people pointing out the truth about the Frontier Wars from 1778 to 1920 in which tens of thousands of Aboriginal warriors fell defending their land against the invaders could we? That would expose the reality of the essentially white character of the celebration of ANZAC Day and its reinforcement of white Australia. Stopping Aboriginal people marching in memory of their brothers and sisters who were killed during the Frontier Wars exposes that white Australia reality too.

Meriki Onus, protest organiser from the youth group Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance, spoke to Solidarity about the need to resist these community closures and the broader agenda of assimilation.