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Vol. 79/No. 20      June 1, 2015

 
Actions in New Zealand stand in
solidarity with Aboriginal Australia
 
BY ANNALUCIA VERMUNT  
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Chanting “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land,” more than 400 people marched here May 1 to back demands that the Australian government stop the forced closure of Aboriginal communities.

The protest was called by the Maori women’s organization Te Wharepora Hou. It was one of seven across the country, including in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga and Napier. They were held in response to a call for international protests by SOSBlakAustralia.

“The move by the Western Australia state government to close sacred Aboriginal sites will open the road for private mining activities,” John Councillor of the Aboriginal Yamatji people told the crowd.

The Aboriginal people are taking action “on all of our behalf to make sure that they protect their land and waters from exploitation,” said Marama Davidson, one of the protest organizers. “So it’s really important that we all support what they are doing.”
 
 
Related articles:
1,000s protest gov’t attacks on Aborigines in Australia
 
 
 
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