“I am not a racist, and I don’t believe that the majority of Australians are racist. I do believe that the no campaigners are using racist tactics.” – Marcia Langton.
Nearly 10 years ago when the G20 was in Brisbane there were large aboriginal flags carried by the Sovereign tent embassy mob from Roma Street Forum to Musgrave Park. This march was the centrepiece of the de-colonisation movement in Meanjin (Brisbane). Each invasion day the aboriginal flag seems to get bigger and bigger until 2020 it was huge (pictured).
The Queensland government gave the city workers a day off so there was no one in the streets to witness the 2,000 people that marched against the G 20 and what it represented: President Obama’s US-style of imperialism. Putin put Russian war ships offshore, a firm statement of his opposition to the G20. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was going to shirt-front Vladimir Putin over the downing of MH17 shot down by rebels in eastern Ukraine. The flight had a small percentage of Australians onboard.
Ruby Wharton (Kooma/Gamilaraay) explained why they burnt the Australian flag that day:
Meanwhile local identity, antiwar campaigner and catholic worker, Ciaron O’Reilly, promised to shirt-front Obama at the University of Queensland. Queensland police put Ciaron alone in the cells beneath the Brisbane magistrates Court in George Street for the duration of the G20.
I remember that day of 16 November 2014 as being incredibly hot. The police commissioner Katrina Carroll was on hand passing out water bottles to aboriginal people who marched after burning effigies of Noel Pearson, Warren Mundine and Marcia Langton as well as one of Tony Abbott. Warren Mundine is one of the main advocates for a No vote and Noel Pearson and Marcia Langton are for a Yes vote in the referendum.
We had come from humble origins, only a few had marched on Invasion Day in 2013.
This is what Wayne “Coco” (advocate for a No vote) had to say on 9 February 2009.
Ten years later a much larger group (20,000 people marched said the Vote Yes campaign organisers) marched on 17 September 2023 for the ‘YES’ vote in the constitutional referendum offering first nations people a voice to parliament. As I rode along Southbank I saw the same huge aboriginal flag hanging from the Victoria Street bridge. It was not until a teacher pointed out to me that I realised that someone had written in white letters “Vote No” on the aboriginal flag – an event that both channel 9 and the ABC were quick to focus on during their evening coverage of the event.
This was despite the very strong feeling by aboriginal people present at the rally on the forecourt of the cultural centre that we should vote “yes”. As if to confirm this, an Aboriginal Auntie handed me a BUTTON stating “I am voting yes”.
Kerry O’Brien has been touring the country with Thomas Mayo promoting the Yes campaign. This campaign is backed by the ALP and they provide the funding for volunteers ringing people up and door-knocking for the “Yes” vote. People may recall Kerry O’Brien famously declaring a victory for the Labor Party in 2007: “There has been (gleefully) a swing to the ABC — oops I mean ALP!” — Kerry O’Brien, during election night telecast referring to former prime minister John Howard’s former seat of Bennelong (which Howard lost to former ABC compere of the 7:30 report, Maxine McKew).
Last Wednesday, 13 September 2023, I received the following mass text from LNP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price: “The referendum is on 14 October. This voice is risky, unknown and divisive. Don’t know? Say no.”
Nevertheless, there is much confusion and division being promoted by the No’s, but a “Yes” vote is really very straighforward. It means that the constitution says it is okay for the parliament to seek advice from aboriginal people when it is passing laws realting to aboriginal people, a right given to it in the 1967 referendum.
It is a sorry state of affairs when the ‘sovereign’ people argue for a ‘no’ vote. The sovereignty movement are for de-colonisation but find themselves on the same side as wealthy miners who wish to re-colonise Australia, on the same side as the racists.
Deceased aboriginal leader, Sam Watson, would never have stood for this!
I am old enough to remember the 1967 election when people voted to include aboriginal people in the census and to permit parliament to pass special powers to assist a colonised people. The vote was over 90% in favour of voting ‘Yes’.
If parliaments are going to pass legislation that: provides assistance to remote communities; that grants land rights to aboriginal people; that prevents discrimination against aboriginal people, then surely the Constitution must change to enable aboriginal people to have a voice in that process?
Listen to Thomas Thomas Mayo, Assistant National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, advocate for the Uluṟu Statement, and a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament, and vote yes in October, do not listen to the scare tactics of the colonisers and their gatekeepers.
I have attended Invasion Day marches in Meanjin since they were begun and before that the land rights marches of the 1970s and 80s. The ‘yes’ vote is symbolic and yes it is supported by white people. It may come to naught. The ‘no’ vote is supported by racists. I just can’t bring myself to vote with them.
Ian Curr
18 Sept 2023
