Photos from Palm Island solidarity protest in Melbourne today : Melbourne Indymedia

Photo: Robbie Thorpe speaking to the crowd
** More pics follow in the comments section to this story, to make it easier for me to upload. **

The day was very smokey, wind blowing smoke from Eastern Victorian fires, to blanket Melbourne http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia6/2006354/Australia6.2006354.aqua You can see the smoke haze in several of the pics.

Read about the issues raised at today's protest, in discussion threads here at IndyMedia at http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/12/134196_comment.php and http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/12/134272.php

Some useful articles which I found linked from those discussions are http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20935882-601,00.html "Equal rigour would have avoided disgrace", an opinion piece by Tony Koch in The Australian, and http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20948403-3102,00.html "Indigenous leader quits", a story from the Courier Mail.

For some background on Palm Island, the following is good http://www.brisinst.org.au/resources/boe_andrew_palmisland.html "Palm Island: something is very wrong" by Andrew Boe in 2005.

You can also find larger versions of the photos at http://dimension100.com/camera/20061220_Melbourne_Doomadgee_protest/big and originals are available on request -- email sim at emotif.be

Note: I have not provided captions but perhaps some kind person could add a comment listing the names of the speakers?

Pic 1, Robbie Thorpe, Black GST
Pic 2, Len Cooper, CEPU T&S (Telstra workers)
Pic 4, Lyn Allison, Democrats
Pic 8, Dennis Walker, Aboriginal community, Brisbane
Pic 9, Carmen Curihuentro, Mapuche Nation, Chile
Pic 9, 25 & 28 Margarita Windish, Socialist Alliance
Pic 12 Alison Thorne, Indigenous Social Justice Association
Pic 13 & 13.5 Sue Bolton, Socialist Alliance

Good report, great pics, thank you

More than 1000 people marched in Brisbane.

There were protests in Palm Island, Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Land Rights, Justice, Solidarity

Choice One
by Settlers for Indigenous Sovereignty Thursday December 21, 2006 at 09:53 AM

Choice to see the various crews out, showing support for the Palm Island mob. Awesome one people.JUSTICE FOR MULRUNJI. Love to have been there but laying low after the g20. ;-).

Thanks to sis & bro for this pic.

STOP POLICE BRUTALITY, STOP BLACK DEATHS IN CUSTODY. STOP THE GENOCIDE

No Justice No Peace
Always Was
Always Will Be
Aboriginal Land
Indigenous Sovereignty Now

Pic 3 is Greg from NTEU.

Great report loads of interesting and clear pix....well done !
Good to see people turn out in solidarity especially at this tiem of year
when a lot of hot and bothered folks are consumer frenzied and family obligation frazzled.

Keep up the excellent work an example of Melbourne Indymedia doing well what the Corporate media either disinforms or denies happening.