By Sarah Stephen
HOBART — Around 700 people joined a march and rally against racism on March 22 which was organised by Labor MP John White and the United Nations Association on behalf of Tasmanians Against Racism (TAR).
Participants were asked to "wear traditional costumes" and White announced that the action was to be "a peaceful, quiet walk through the city" with prominent politicians carrying flags at the front.
Despite these efforts to pacify the event, many participants enthusiastically chanted "Tolerance is not enough. Racism no!", "Whatever your colour, stand together. Unite for equal rights" and "Migrants are welcome, racism is not!". The Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group organised a contingent which marched under a banner stating "No harmony without justice".
The Australian Education Union, the Health and Community Services Union, the Professional Teachers' Association, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Tasmania University Union also had contingents in the march.
The rally was addressed by Robert Henderson, spokesperson for TAR and director of the Human Rights Commission in Tasmania; Eve Richardson, a Tasmanian Aborigine and Iggy Kim, a member of Resistance.
"One thing I've been told is that if you ignore it, racism will somehow go away", said Kim. "Unfortunately, it's not as easy as that. Racism is about policies and practices that perpetuate inequality and, as long as this remains, we Asians and Aborigines will remain vulnerable to verbal abuse and blame for every problem under the sun. We need to fight the real causes of our hardships, to struggle together for better living standards, for a decent future for our children, for dignity and respect."