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Author: RAC
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Police threats lead to COVID-safe protest being cancelled
Police say they will fine refugee supporters $5000 each if they stand in pairs, 1.5 metres apart and wearing masks, outside the Mantra Bell City hotel.
RAC had planned to organise a series of COVID-safe gatherings, an hour apart, on Saturday 3 October to protest a Federal Government Bill that would deprive refugees and asylum-seekers in detention of their mobile phones.
RAC had also planned a media conference, which police say would also attract fines.
The in-person event has now been cancelled. RAC is considering ways in which the media conference might proceed.
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Solidarity with refugees and migrants devastated by fire at Moria refugee camp in Greece
14 September 2020
Refugee Action Collective in Victoria (RAC Vic) expresses its solidarity with refugees and migrants who have been devastated and displaced after fires ripped through Europe’s largest refugee camp at Moria, on the Greek island of Lesbos last week.
Refugees at the camp were left to run in panic after a fire broke out. It is unknown how the fire started. The camp has since been burned down leaving 13,000 men, women and children without shelter, with many left to sleep on the road.
On Friday 11 September, news reports stated that migrants and refugees protested in front of police barriers holding signs calling for “freedom” and “no camp”, with Greek police responding by firing tear gas at protestors.
Before the fires began, 13,000 refugees at the camp had already faced months of extreme overcrowding, unhealthy conditions such as lack access to medical care, water, sanitation and pandemic information. The camp has been impacted by COVID-19, with several refugees testing positive for the virus.
Refugee Action Coalition Sydney showed their support at the Greek Consulate with members of the Greek community in Sydney on Saturday 12 September. From the RAC Sydney Facebook page, they issued their support saying: “ Solidarity with the Moria refugees. Today progressive members of the Greek community joined with members of RAC outside the Greek Consulate in Sydney. There will be pro-refugee protests across Europe, including in Athens, later today.”
We echo these statements and those of protestors in Greece and in other parts of Europe who are mobilising in solidarity with refugees and migrants. 3000 protesters in Germany are calling on their own government and countries across the EU to accept all refugees from the Moria refugee camp. Refugee rights supporters are demanding refugees and migrants be immediately transported to the Greek mainland, to be able to safely access asylum and housing.
We stand in support and call for refugees all around the world, including in Australia and at the Moria camp, to be welcomed to safety and permanent protection in the community.
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Fact checking Alan Tudge
Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge has made a number of dubious claims about the indefinite detention of refugees and asylum-seekers transferred to Australia for medical attention.
This new document looks at each of his claims and counters with the facts, all taken from Hansard and Government department publications.
The document was drawn up by Trudy Hairs, Area Coordinator for Melbourne’s Homestay Program (volunteer) and published with permission.
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Join online rally for the right to protest
Friday 2 October, 1pm
Join the online rally in support of Chris Breen, a member of RAC, a high school teacher and member of the AEU state council, who faces court on 2 October.
Breen has been charged with “incitement” under the 1958 Crimes Act for helping to organise a safe car convoy protest calling to free refugees because of the risk of COVID-19.
Speakers:
Mostafa Azimitabar (Moz from Manus) – currently detained in the Mantra hotel
Diana Beaumont – Australian Education Union branch councillor
Jonathan Sri – Brisbane Greens Councillor
Graham Thom – Amnesty International Refugee Co-ordinator
Aran Mylvaganam – Tamil Refugee Council & one of the refugee supporters fined $1652 at the refugee car convoy
Chris Breen – RAC, and person charged with “incitement” for refugee car convoyFriday 2 October at 1pm, eastern time.
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Solidarity with BLM protesters in Sydney
30 July 2020
The Refugee Action Collective in Melbourne expresses its solidarity with the seven fined Black Lives Matter protesters in Sydney who were fined $1000 each on 28 July for demanding justice for David Dungay Jr.
It is outrageous that Prime Minister Scott Morrison can join crowds at the NRL, where 10,000 are allowed, but a socially distanced protest of hundreds is shut down. It is also worth noting that an anti-CCP protest of close to 100 at the Chinese consulate in Sydney was allowed to take place the day before.
The vitriol directed against the Black Lives Matter protests from politicians, police and media has been an attack on anti-racism and the right to protest, not about concern for public health.
Police in NSW and Federal Coalition Minister Greg Hunt have tried to blame the Black Lives Matter protest for Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19. But this is ridiculous. Not only is there no evidence for any transmission from the BLM protests in Australia, but it is widely acknowledged across the political spectrum in Victoria that the second wave came from COVID-19 leaking from the quarantine hotels for returned Australian travellers.
RAC has similarly come under attack for safe forms of protest, with 30 refugee supporters fined a total of $50,000 and one person charged with incitement for a car convoy protest drawing attention to the threat of COVID-19 for refugees held in detention.
The racism that has seen no one held accountable for the killing of David Dungay Jr is the same racism that sees refugees locked up in dangerous conditions, unable to socially distance or protect themselves against COVID-19.
RAC-Vic supports the right to protest during the pandemic. We call for the dropping of all fines against the Black Lives Matter protesters in Sydney. -
Solidarity with the Brisbane/Meanjin protests
1 July 2020
The Refugee Action Collective (Vic) has been inspired by the resistance shown by the refugees held in the hotel at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane and the solidarity rallies by their supporters in the streets outside.
We join the Refugee Action Collective (Qld) and Refugee Solidarity Meanjin in calling for the men to be released into the community where they will be welcomed by so many people.
We are appalled by the mass arrests of refugee supporters who were doing no more than peacefully calling attention to this incarceration, this breach of human rights.
Here in Melbourne, we continue the same fight. There are some 65 refugees in the Mantra Bell City Hotel in Preston, like Kangaroo Point an “alternative place of detention”, and more in MITA, in Broadmeadows. They, too, have been protesting daily.
Those in the Mantra do not have access to fresh air and all of them are trapped in close proximity to Serco guards who could all too easily bring the COVID-19 virus in from outside, with cases spiking in the city’s north. Broadmeadows is one of many suburbs going into lockdown as a COVID-19 hotspot.
We, too, have faced police action for safely drawing attention to this situation, with one RAC member charged with incitement and 30 facing $1652 fines for taking part in a socially distanced convoy of solidarity.
So we send our solidarity to you all in Meanin/Brisbane from Naarm/Melbourne. And the best solidarity is for all of us to keep up the fight for freedom for refugees and asylum-seekers against this racist Morrison/Dutton government.
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Teachers’ union calls for refugees to be in community care, charge and fines against convoy activists to be dropped
The Victorian State Council of the Australian Education Union has overwhelmingly endorsed the following motion:
The AEU condemns the Federal Government’s treatment of refugees who are currently held in lockdown at a Preston hotel.
The government has abrogated their responsibility for the rights and welfare of these refugees generally and specifically in the context of the response to COVID-19 by failing to provide sufficient:• space to enable the required social distancing between refugees and between refugees and guards
• hygiene products such as soap
• personal protective equipment where necessary.
The increased risk to the refugees is significant given that they have come to Australia under the Medevac legislation and have considerable medical problems, which make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.
The AEU, consistent with existing policy, calls on the government to immediately allow refugees and asylum seekers to be released safely into suitable community care arrangements.
Further the AEU reinforces its support for the right of Victorians to engage in safe political protest free from the fear of arrest. Appropriate political protest is a fundamental civil right which should not be thwarted by charging or fining protesters.
The AEU calls for the charge of incitement to be dropped against Chris Breen, and for the fines against all 29 refugee rights supporters to be withdrawn. -
Support grows for refugee COVID convoy protesters
The Refugee Action Collective has issued a sign-on statement, calling for solidarity with those harassed in connection with a solidarity car convoy to the Mantra hotel in Preston.
RAC activist Chris Breen was arrested for “incitement” and 30 refugee activists are receiving $1652 fines.
Organisations and individuals have been quick to add their names to the statement. Some of those are listed below, with many more having signed.
To add your support, email your name and organisation and position (if applicable) to [email protected].
SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS TO DATE
Maritime Union of Australia
United Workers Union
Australian Education Union Victoria Branch (by a separate resolution)
Health and Community Services Union (HACSU)
CFMEU Construction & General Division VIC/TAS Branch
NTEU Victorian Division
ETU Queensland and NT Branch
Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council
Hume Central Secondary College AEU Sub Branch
RMIT University NTEU branch committee
Federation University NTEU branch committee
Australian Unemployed Workers Union
The Victorian Greens
Tamil Refugee Council
Labor for Refugees NSW
Unionists for Refugees (Vic)
Aireys Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees
Fremantle Refugee Rights Action Network
Hunter Asylum Seeker Advocacy
Black Sash Australia
Kommonground Inc
Pax Christi Victoria
Pax Christi NSW
Pax Christi Australia
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre
Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project
Refugee Action Coalition NSW
Refugee Action Collective Queensland
3CR Community Radio
University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council
Apollo Bay Rural Australians for Refugees
Jews for Refugees
Campaign Against Racism and Fascism
Earthworker Cooperative
Mums for Refugees
Grandmothers for Refugees NSW
Young Labor Left NSW
The Greens NSW
Solidarity
Socialist Alliance
Benalla Rural Australians for Refugees
Justice for Refugees
Therapy4Refugees
Stand Together Against Racism
Socialist Alternative
Victorian Socialists
Combined Refugee Action Group, Geelong
Refugee Rights Action Network WA
Tasmanian Asylum Seeker Support
Australian Student Christian Movement
We Are Union: Benalla
Northside Youth with Refugees
Students for Refugees Society
The Architecture Lobby (Vic)
Communist Party of Australia
Australia-Cuba Friendship Society (WA)
Democracy in Colour
Adelaide Vigil for Manus and Nauru
Australian Association of Social Workers (Vic)
Teachers for Refugees (NSW)
University of Melbourne Greens Club
Freedom Socialist Party
Radical Women
Darebin Greens
Indigenous Social Justice Association
Freedom Socialist Party (US)
Love Makes A Way, Melbourne
CLACCA Universal Life Church
Cooper Grandmothers for Refugees
General Assembly of Interested Parties
AMONG THE MANY SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALSBehrouz Boochani, former Manus detainee, author, film-maker
Mostafa Azimitabar (Moz from Manus)
Abdul Aziz Adam, former Manus detainee
Senator Nick McKim, Tasmania (Greens)
Senator Janet Rice, Victoria (Greens)
Senator Lidia Thorpe, Victoria (Greens)
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, NSW (Greens)
Jenny Leong, NSW Greens MP
David Shoebridge, NSW Greens MP
Dr Tim Read, Victorian Greens MP
Samantha Ratnam, Victorian Greens MP and leader
Ellen Sandell, Victorian Greens MP
Sam Hibbins, Victorian Greens MP
Lee Rhiannon, former NSW Senator (Greens)
Gavin Marshall, former Victorian Senator (ALP)
Paul Petersen, Assistant Branch Secretary MUA, Queensland Branch
Keith McKenzie, President ETU, Qld and NT Branch
Michael Thomson, State Secretary, NTEU NSW Division
Robert Richter QC, barrister
Greg Barns, Former National President Australian Lawyers Alliance
Julian Burnside AO QC, barrister
David Risstrom, barrister
Elizabeth Cox, former UN Women Director, Pacific region
Wendy Bacon, journalist and researcher
Arnold Zable, author
Alex Bhathal, President Victorian Branch Australian Association of Social Workers
Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees OAM, University of Sydney
Dr David Brophy, Senior Lecturer in Modern Chinese History, University of Sydney
Dr Katrina Watson OAM
Dr Kerry Goulston AO
Dr Kerry Breen AM
Dr David Cade
Professor Catherine Greenhill
Cr Sue Bolton, Moreland Council
Cr Jessica Dorney, Moreland Council
Cr Mark Riley, Moreland Council
Emeritus Professor Joseph Camilleri OAM, Chair, Academic Board, La Trobe College Australia
Dr John Slavin
Dr Elyse Methven, Law lecturer UTS
Dr Mirna Cicioni
Alison Battinson, Principal lawyer, Human Rights for All
Dr Anthea Vogl, Senior law lecturer UTS
Dr Sara Dehm, Law lecturer UTS
Dr Kevin Sweeney, Convenor, Amnesty Newcastle
Peter Murphy, Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition
Cr Cath Blakey, Wollongong Council
Associate Professor Georgina Murray, Griffith University
Cr Stephen Nugent, Orange City Council
Louise Redmond, National President, Rural Australians for Refugees
Jonathan Strauss, National Secretary, Rural Australians for Refugees
Marie Sellstrom, Immediate Past National President, Rural Australians for Refugees
Professor Emeritus Frank Stilwell, Political Economy, University of Sydney
Cr Philippa Veitch, Deputy Mayor, Randwick Council
Dr Michael Grewcock, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UNSW
Dr Bridget Honan, Emergency physician
Cr Petros Constantinou, Coordinator, KEERFA (Movement United Against Racism and the Fascist Threat), Athens City Council
Associate Professor Bill Dunn, University of Sydney
Associate Professor Anne McNevin, The New School, New York
Cr Jonathan Sri, Brisbane City Council
Hannah Buchan, President, University of Melbourne Student Union
Cr Gaetano Greco, Deputy Mayor, Darebin Council
Dr June Factor, Convenor, Befriend a Child in Detention
