An online forum on the power of protest was organised by the Refugee Action Collective (RAC) and hosted by the Wheeler Centre on September 15.
Celeste Liddle, an Arrernte woman and Greens candidate for the seat of Cooper in the upcoming federal election, said that protest is a 鈥渇undamental human right鈥 that puts pressure on political powers to make better decisions.
Former聽refugee Farhad Bandesh, an artist and musician who fled Iran in 2013 and was detained for 7 years on Manus Island and in Australia, said it is important to challenge the decisions of government and big business, showing that 鈥渨e don't accept cruel and inhumane policies鈥.
Bandesh said protest can take many forms, including street demonstrations, letters to politicians, songs and poetry. When he was detained in the Mantra Hotel, protesters聽outside gave detainees hope, and showed them that 鈥渨e are not alone, not forgotten鈥.
Bandesh said that refugees in detention also organised protests.
RAC activist Chris Breen discussed examples of successful protest action, including the campaign to prevent baby Asha being returned to Nauru after being treated聽at Lady Cilento Hospital in Brisbane, and the release of some Medevac refugees following protests outside detention hotels.
Breen argued that protests can be carried out in a COVID-safe manner, for example a car cavalcade聽in April last year which聽drove past the Mantra Hotel, where 65 refugees were detained.
Breen was arrested for allegedly inciting people to participate in the convoy. While he has been found not guilty, 30 other refugee supporters were fined for taking part. Most have refused to pay the fines and are awaiting trial.
Liddle said the large Black Lives Matter rally聽in June last year聽was COVID-19 safe. She explained how organisers had provided masks and hand sanitise, and there had been no reported cases of infection from the event.
While corporate media blamed the BLM聽rally for a COVID-19 outbreak, the聽virus spread聽via inadequately trained workers in quarantine hotels.
The deputy director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law聽Maria O'Sullivan, who chaired the forum, pointed out that聽while political protests are banned, huge indoor shopping centres such as Chadstone are open.
Liddle decried the over-policing of Aboriginal rights and refugee rights protests. She also criticised the聽aggressive policing at anti-lockdown rallies, describing the police聽use of assault weapons as 鈥渢errifying鈥. She is concerned that similar tactics could be used at anti-racist rallies in future.
Breen said there was a聽danger that incitement charges were being used more widely and both he and Liddle聽spoke about聽the need to encourage more union聽support for all rights protests.
In conclusion, Bandesh聽urged the forum聽not to forget the refugees who are 鈥渟till locked up鈥.