Saturday 30 July 2016

Days of Rage: The Northern Territory abuse; one more layer of shame

Sydney Town Hall salute-this is bigger than anger
This were as raw, as visceral as it comes. This were more than a revelations of the abuse in the Northern Territories juvenile detention centres and Don Dale. This was guts spilled. Words that choked. Anger that had no place further to go- it has all been said. This were the splitting' apart of women's voices in a sunny afternoon in Sydney where there was nowt that can undo the damage done but rage. These were stories. Stories of rape, incarceration, brutality and colonisation. These were adults reopening the still bloody wounds of their childhood experiences. This were where past and present collided. Where in an ongoing nightmare nothing seems to change. This were the dark stain of blood on the red earth and I reeled away from this one howling to the core. Aye, where were the unions?  Other than David Shoebridge, where were the elected politician, the representatives of the people? Again, Socialist Alliance standing alongside the first people of the land. But as you can see by the flags, the messages, the people there - this was theirs. "Just Fucken listen!" One man screamed and I did and I wept.

See article in New Matilda as to why*


Reading a message from Dylan Voller
When they came for the children
Listen to the Archie Roach song "Took the Children Away". From "Charcoal Lane". Written in 1987 - what's changed?





Black lives matter. Damn right but are we listening


* https://newmatilda.com/2016/07/28/nt-juvenile-detention-abuse-royal-commissioner-needs-no-introduction-to-black-territorians/
And
https://newmatilda.com/2016/08/02/if-australia-had-listened-brian-martin-would-never-have-been-made-commissioner/

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