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| Asylum seeker rallies across Australia draw thousands in support of refugees | Asylum seeker rallies across Australia draw thousands in support of refugees |
| (7 months later) | |
| Thousands of people in Australian cities have responded to a national call to rally in support of refugees and to push for the end of mandatory detention. | Thousands of people in Australian cities have responded to a national call to rally in support of refugees and to push for the end of mandatory detention. |
| There were large crowds in Sydney, including unions and various social and political groups, gathered peacefully at Town Hall on Sunday afternoon. | There were large crowds in Sydney, including unions and various social and political groups, gathered peacefully at Town Hall on Sunday afternoon. |
| They waved banners reading “welcome refugees from Syria” and “Close Manus. Close Nauru. Welcome refugees”, while waiting to hear from speakers including Greens senator Lee Rhiannon and Syrian refugeeAbdul Hakim. | They waved banners reading “welcome refugees from Syria” and “Close Manus. Close Nauru. Welcome refugees”, while waiting to hear from speakers including Greens senator Lee Rhiannon and Syrian refugeeAbdul Hakim. |
| Mounted police and other officers were on patrol but there were no signs of trouble at the rally, which was part of a national campaign organised by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC). | Mounted police and other officers were on patrol but there were no signs of trouble at the rally, which was part of a national campaign organised by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC). |
| Melbourne and Canberra also had large protests, with estimates between 1,000 and 2,000 people at each. | Melbourne and Canberra also had large protests, with estimates between 1,000 and 2,000 people at each. |
| Chris Breen, an organiser of the Melbourne event, told Guardian Australia the rally was peaceful, and that he’d heard from a number of “very angry” speakers, including former refugees, politicians and union representatives. | Chris Breen, an organiser of the Melbourne event, told Guardian Australia the rally was peaceful, and that he’d heard from a number of “very angry” speakers, including former refugees, politicians and union representatives. |
| The rallies called for the end of boat turnbacks, closure of the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres and an increase in Australia’s refugee intake. They also demonstrated against the Border Force Act, which could mean up to two years jail time for detention centre workers who disclose information about conditions. | The rallies called for the end of boat turnbacks, closure of the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres and an increase in Australia’s refugee intake. They also demonstrated against the Border Force Act, which could mean up to two years jail time for detention centre workers who disclose information about conditions. |
| Similar rallies are also planned in Brisbane and Perth. | Similar rallies are also planned in Brisbane and Perth. |
| RAC spokesman Ian Rintoul, speaking before the rallies, said: “The government has no answer to the gaping resettlement hole in its offshore processing arrangements.” | RAC spokesman Ian Rintoul, speaking before the rallies, said: “The government has no answer to the gaping resettlement hole in its offshore processing arrangements.” |
| Rintoul pointed to news that the federal government was in talks with the Philippines about taking refugees for resettlement. A similar deal with Cambodia has seen just four people move to the impoverished south-east Asian nation, at a cost of $55m. | Rintoul pointed to news that the federal government was in talks with the Philippines about taking refugees for resettlement. A similar deal with Cambodia has seen just four people move to the impoverished south-east Asian nation, at a cost of $55m. |
| “Attempting to bribe yet another poor regional country to violate the rights of asylum seekers will only lead to Australia trashing its already tarnished international image,” said Rintoul. | “Attempting to bribe yet another poor regional country to violate the rights of asylum seekers will only lead to Australia trashing its already tarnished international image,” said Rintoul. |
| “There is no reason to believe that any more refugees will agree to the Philippines than have agreed to Cambodia.” | “There is no reason to believe that any more refugees will agree to the Philippines than have agreed to Cambodia.” |
| It was also reported on Sunday that hundreds of doctors at the Royal Children’s hospital in Melbourne had called for the end of the detention of children, noting the ethical difficulties in discharging patients back to an environment which caused them harm. | It was also reported on Sunday that hundreds of doctors at the Royal Children’s hospital in Melbourne had called for the end of the detention of children, noting the ethical difficulties in discharging patients back to an environment which caused them harm. |
| The rallies followed duelling protests in Bendigo on Saturday, where a heavy police presence kept pro-diversity and anti-mosque demonstrators apart. | The rallies followed duelling protests in Bendigo on Saturday, where a heavy police presence kept pro-diversity and anti-mosque demonstrators apart. |