Hundreds of refugee rights activists to protest the continued detention of refugees outside the Kangaroo Point detention centre on August 15.
They called forÌýthe refugees inside the hotel prison to be allowed out on day release — aÌýhumane first step.Ìý
Protesters had planned to hold a sit-in on the Story Bridge, if this demand was not met. But a campaign ofÌýintimidation and threats of violence from Queensland Police meant this was not possible.
A Ìýsaid: "We’ve faced the full force of a state trying desperately to silence dissent —Ìýsome protesters have been raided during the middle of the night, others haven’t been home since last weekÌýand the Attorney-General has used the court to get injunctions against several people forbidding them from going...
"The state has become obsessed with stopping this protest from going ahead.
"We expect any attempt to sit-down on the bridge to be met with a large police presence, including the use of chemical weapons and mounted police. With all this in mind, we don't think we can take the bridge as initially planned.
"It feels strange to announce publicly that we went up against the state and we lost. There’s the urge to somehow spin it as a positive, as a win, like we always planned this. But some things are just fucked."
The risk of the protest spreading COVID-19 was one of the excusesÌýthe government gave to say the protest mustÌýnot go ahead.
However, as speakers at the rally pointed out, a football game with much larger numbers in a confined space was going ahead onÌýthat same day — without police harassment.
Refugee rights activists defied intimidation to march from nearby Raymond Park to the Kangaroo Point motel-cum-prison.
FreeTheRefugees15-8-20ByAlexBainbridge-web.jpg
Police refused to liaise about the march logistics with the organisers who went out of their way to avoid a confrontation. Nevertheless, there were six arrests before the end of the day.
Police ended up blocking the road for a considerable time, using the excuse that they had to prevent protesters from blocking the road.
Refugees who spokeÌýto the rally remotely thanked everyone for coming out to support them. They also pointed out that the government repression was directed against AustralianÌýcitizens, not just refugees.
"Today, if you don't stand for refugees, tomorrow, [you'll] have to stand for yourselves," one said.
At one poignant moment, there was a call and response from the refugees inside to the protesters outside: "Eight years is enough —ÌýI can’t breathe —Ìýplease help!"
A is being organisedÌýat the site. AÌýÌýis being organisedÌýon August 18 to protest federal government moves to sendÌýrefugees — and anyone —Ìýto Christmas Island.
More photos from the action can be seen on the .
8Years15-8-20ByAlexBainbridge-web.jpg
MobilePhone15-8-20ByAlexBainbridge-web.jpg
Refugees15-8-20ByAlexBainbridge-web.jpg
Ìý