MEDIA RELEASE – WAR rally against forced community closures

10 April 2015

MEDIA RELEASE – WAR rally against forced community closures

Today, Melbourne will be shut down by thousands of people expressing their outrage at federal and state government plans to forcibly close Aboriginal communities.

Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) are committed to resisting government attacks on our people, our culture and our land. We will never cease until we are guaranteed Aboriginal social and political independence and rid ourselves of the oppressive hand of government.

The forced closure of Aboriginal communities is an affront against every Aboriginal person living on this continent.

For those living in the communities designated as “unsustainable”, the forced closures represent a genocidal attack on culture and connection to land that constitutes an unambiguous breach of fundamental human rights and basic notions of human decency.

For every other self-­‐respecting Aboriginal person, the forced closures represent the disrespect and disregard that government has for Aboriginal people. The forced closures reinforce the message that Aboriginal people cannot have freedom on this continent until we have self-­‐government.

Rallies against forced closures have been held across the country, bringing countless cities to a standstill, and yet the government and mainstream media continues to ignore the message. WAR will not let this diminish our resolve.

WAR will continue to conduct escalating actions until the government is forced to recognise the destruction it is causing to Aboriginal people on this continent and recognise its incompetence to govern Aboriginal people.

WAR’s ultimate goal is to end the colonial control of our lands and lives and to restore our tribal sovereignty. We call on the Australian government to cease violent domination of Aboriginal lives and immediately stop all destruction of Aboriginal people, land and culture across this continent.

Todays rally will be an expression of our disgust with government and a statement of our continuing sovereignty.

Time:

4.00pm Location:

Flinders Street Steps, Melbourne Victoria

For comment: warcouncil.media@gmail.com