Rally for Th Refugees (Melb)

Whether or not you think that rallies make much of a difference, if nothing else it's a way to make a public statement that people Still Give A Shit about an issue.  With an election looming and the topic of asylum seekers given a publicity boost by a certain instant celebrity's 15 seconds of infamy, this is one that i think might be worth it.

So this is where i'm planning to be this Sunday (no matter how shit the
weather)..

(Courtesy of Refugee Action Collective www.rac-vic.org )

Join this SUNDAY's RALLY for refugee rights ....

WORLD REFUGEE DAY RALLY
1pm THIS SUNDAY 20th June
Meet outside Royal Exhibition Buildings, Nicholson St. (near Gertrude St.), Fitzroy

The fight for refugee rights goes on, with Iraqi refugees in Nauru spending their fifth day on hunger strike rather than be forced to return to the ongoing devastation and violence of occupied Iraq.  Help make refugee rights an important part of this election year!

From the Exhibition Buildings, we will march to the World Refugee Day festival at Fitzroy Town Hall.

Aladdin Sisalem, the Palestinian refugee who has been released after spending 10 months imprisoned alone at Manus Island detention centre, at a cost of $23,000 a day, has been confirmed as a speaker at the rally.

ha!

This one from a NSW refugee advocacy group (but no link):

RACNSW MEDIA  RELEASE
19th June, 2004
 
Australian Refugee Advocates Successful in Media Challenge

A formal complaint against the Sydney Morning Herald for its use of the terms  "illegal immigrants" and "illegal entrants" to describe asylum-seekers has  been upheld by the Australian Press Council. The complaint was brought by  Mira Wroblewski of Central Coast, NSW, and has been supported by a  large number of refugee support groups and individuals.
 
The complaint was initially against  the Sydney Morning Herald, but the Australian Press Council has also agreed to formulate general guidelines  for Australian press against  the use of these terms for asylum seekers and refugees.
 
Ms  Wroblewski is elated at the result and also wishes to acknowledge  the very good work done by the Sydney Morning Herald on asylum seeker issues generally.
 
About the need for general press guidelines, she  said
 
"The term "illegal" is used by the Government to  villify these people and to justify their treatment. It is one of a number  of fear tactics being used to keep this government in power. I believe that  the media should use the more accurate and respectful terms "asylum-seekers"  or "refugees" to describe people who come to seek our help. They are not  criminals. This has been supported by the Press Council  decision"
 
Ms  Wroblewski became involved in refugee support work after visiting Woomera  Detention Centre for the first time in 2002. She said "I could not believe how innocent people are being treated in my country. They are not criminals,  they have done nothing illegal. Despite this-they are treated worse than  people who have done something illegal".
 

It ends with:

"Free th refugees!"  

Looks like that's going to be a new slogan.