Eight members from the Refugee Action Collective Eurobodalla travelled up to Canberra to attend the Palm Sunday Rally for Refugees on Sunday March 25.
Prepared for storms and rain, a short shower did nothing to dampen our spirits, and we headed into the rally in Garema Place, with our local Eurobodalla banner proudly flowing in the wind. As Eurobodalla is a Refugee Welcome Zone, to be a part of this huge event sent tingles down our spines.
This year, over 3,000 people rallied in Canberra for refugee rights and better treatment for refugees in Manus, Nauru and elsewhere. There were rallies in all major cities around Australia, with numbers estimated to be over 20,000. Even larger regional centres such as Illawarra held rallies and marches. Hundreds of support groups marched together, such a diverse group from young children to elderly people, from student groups to Academics, professional groups such as medical practitioners and teachers, Church groups, refugee and welfare advocate groups such as St Vinnies, GLBTQI and union groups, as well as refugees with “lived experience”.
RAC Eurobodalla was honoured to be joined by a recently arrived refugee “Ali” who held our banner aloft and was proud to march for the rights of all refugees. We hope “Ali” will be a guest here in the Eurobodalla in our upcoming Refugee Week celebrations in late June.
To learn more about the situation facing refugees or to ask questions or get involved with RAC Eurobodalla, please contact us:
Email: raceurodbodalla@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RACEurobodalla/
