NSW: Aborigines vow to stay camped despite eviction order

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2000
NSW: Aborigines vow to stay camped despite eviction order

By Alex Tilbury

SYDNEY, Aug 15 AAP - Local Aborigines, clergy, environmentalists and trade unionists
met around a sacred fire at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Sydney's inner west today,
vowing to defy a council eviction order.

Aboriginal activist and embassy organiser Isabell Coe said she would ignore yesterday's
eviction notice.

"What we are trying to do here is way beyond South Sydney Council as it concerns the
whole country and everyone in our country. They don't seem to understand the fire ceremony
which is a part of this country, part of the land," Ms Coe said.

More than 20 tents and up to 100 protesters set up camp in Victoria Park, Camperdown, on July 14.

The sacred fire was built from embers brought from the 28-year-old original Tent Embassy
fire in Canberra and was guarded 24 hours a day as a place to pray for peace and justice.

"There's somebody up all times of the day and night to keep the fire burning and warn
if anyone is coming," Ms Coe said.

South Sydney mayor John Fowler said Ms Coe's protest was not endorsed or supported
by any recognised Aboriginal community group.

"She is an anti-establishment maverick - we've been nothing but conciliatory up until
now but until they meet our conditions we want them off the Crown land," a spokesman for
the mayor said.

Council would like to see only one tent embassy, with up to four support tents; no
vehicles driven across the park; a safety guard around the fire and no amplifiers to be
used.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said she feared protesters would be thrown out of the Victoria
Park in the early hours of the morning.

"The Greens support the camp as everyone has the right to protest but particularly
we support the Aboriginal community's right to occupy land and to take up their concerns,"

Ms Rhiannon said.

The Uniting Church's Reverend Robert Stringer said he thought the South Sydney Council
was intolerant of the needs of Aborigines trying to draw attention to on-going injustices.

"This was one of the first areas where Aborigines opposed British settlement, this
park is of cultural significance," Mr Stringer said.

Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (mining) general president Tony Maher
said the union supported the Tent Embassy and their right to protest.

"You can't outlaw protesting and outspokenness and this attempt to bleach the city
before the Olympics is doomed to failure," Mr Maher said.

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KEYWORD: TENT (PIX AVAILABLE)

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