Stuck on repeat
Sunrise protesters promise to be back again this morning
PROTESTERS say they’ll be back this morning after hijacking Channel Seven’s Sunrise broadcast at Broadbeach yesterday, as a local MP questioned their right to stay on the Spit, where camping is illegal.
A crowd of at least 40 people gathered at the beach behind the presenters’ outdoor set, demonstrating against the show’s decision last month to discuss Aboriginal adoption on a Sam Armytage-led Hot Topic segment which they said had spiralled into “blatant racism”.
Surfers Paradise MP JohnPaul Langbroek weighed in on the issue on twitter yesterday.
“Camping at Doug Jennings Park at the Spit in Surfers Paradise electorate is against State and Council laws,” he wrote.
“Indigenous protesters have set up camp there, have disrupted the Queens Baton Relay for GC2018, opening ceremony and today Sunrise.
“They should be removed.”
However Hal Morris, head of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, which manages the Spit, said the protesters had been granted a permit and paid a bond to stay in the park, the same way anyone else would.
“It is exactly the same process as we have for Magic Millions or Polo by the Sea,” he said.
“It needs to be within the purposes of the Land Act, which it is.”
While the breakfast show struggled to move forward amid the chaos yesterday morning, protesters chanted: “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land,” before adding, “Sam Armytage, we are still waiting on an apology.”
The hosts struggled to continue and be heard while the protesters chanted, with David Koch saying they “support and respect anyone being able to protest and get their view”.
“Happy to have them here, and to express their view, but we have to be a bit careful with language and aggression,” he said.
“As regular viewers would know, we have lots of families and kids here. It’s school holidays in Queensland, it’s the Commonwealth Games, and while we respect everybody’s right to protest ... there are a lot of families on holidays.”
“We have to be very careful with some of the language going to air. I do want to point out that the original segment that sparked this was that children are at risk, not about land rights
... just keep that in mind,” Armytage chimed in.
Protesters cleared out during an ad break, with one saying “see you tomorrow”.
The Stolenwealth Games Protest is being organised by a national committee that includes members of the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) and the Brisbane Aboriginal-Sovereign Embassy. Protesters have travelled from across the country to take part.
Yugambeh elder Ted Williams said his people had no problem with protesting, as long as it didn’t disrupt the Games, or bring his people or GOLDOC into disrepute.
“In my personal view, what happened in the broadcast was rude and nothing more,” he said.
The group consists of protesters from around the country, who were allocated a “base camp” at Doug Jennings Park.
Camping at The Spit has been a contentious issue for years, with the waterways authority building barriers and increasing patrols of the area, which carries a $1200 fine for illegal camping.
INDIGENOUS disadvantage in this country must be addressed.
There is no disputing that. Aborigines, particularly in remote communities, are suffering the consequences of an economic and social gap that leaves them behind the eight-ball in health, education, housing, welfare and opportunity, despite hundreds of millions of dollars allocated by governments each year.
A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in our nation, yet most city-dwelling Australians do not have a clue of this because leaders on both sides of politics prefer to utter platitudes than talk publicly about the real problems. The blame game and cries of “racist’’ from the protest industry also spook the political correctness brigade and are a turn-off for ordinary people.
Priority in this crisis must lie in halting the appalling treatment of women and children in some areas, often at the hands of family members or neighbours. This has to be confronted not just by government, but crucially by elders and the indigenous people themselves.
And we must face facts. This has happened not just in communities that are out of sight of mainstream Australia. The courts of regional centres and capital cities also reflect a tragedy that has to be stopped. Drugs and alcohol are often the catalyst, but should never be an excuse; nor should claims that what has happened is a matter of “culture’’.
No matter how protesters might have tried to dress up their loud and aggressive rally that disrupted the Sunrise TV program yesterday, claiming it was about stolen land, the fury directed at co-host Samantha Armytage stemmed from a recent segment that had the temerity to probe the issue of children at risk. If we can’t talk about it, then the problem keeps festering, but too often attempts are made to shut down any discussion by crying “racist’’.
It is to the shame of this nation that so many women and kids are exposed to abuse in white and indigenous communities. And it is disgraceful that political leaders are afraid to confront the problem of abuse and wider problems of indigenous disadvantage front-on. It is not enough to throw money and then hope.
The Law Reform Commission report on reducing Aboriginal incarceration includes a recommendation that consideration be given to systemic and cultural factors affecting indigenous Australians in bail and sentencing decisions.
The difficulties of the past must be acknowledged, and improved programs are needed to boost education and health. But the nation cannot have two systems of law. Citizens would not all be equal before the law, and in fact this would suggest one group in society is incapable of matching the rest. That surely is racist.
Indigenous issues have been front and centre at the Commonwealth Games at the insistence of the protesters, but also because indigenous culture was given a huge airing at the opening ceremony.
The Bulletin agrees matters must be put before the public, but let’s have an honest conversation. If people want equality and justice, let’s talk about that – and in the process, as Ms Armytage said, let’s also talk about the injustice for women and children subjected to unspeakable abuse.