Newtown reacts to racism

By Bonnie Yiu

Community organisations and political parties held a rally against racism in Newtown last Friday.

Local organisers petitioned for support under the King Street “I have a dream” mural, which features the legendary anti-racist Black American campaigner Martin Luther King.

The rally was in response to recent government policy changes that lobbyists deem discriminatory.



These include the Federal Government’s decision to freeze the processing of visa applications from Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers and the extension of welfare quarantining to Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory.



Ellouise Davis, Development Coordinator of the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre Community was one of the dissenting local community members.



“Until we acknowledge the government’s institutional racism … we will not be able to overcome it and there will be no true recognition,” she said.



Pip Hinman, a Socialist Alliance candidate for Grayndler, called for the Federal Government to drop its controversial policies.



“We want policies to be more inclusive and less racist for those that are already marginalised and dispossessed.



“Those government policies do not represent the majority of what Australians want,” she said.



Fiona Byrne, Deputy Mayor of Marrickville, said the City has a diversified social and ethical background that the community appreciates and she wants to see it continue.



“The City is the birthplace of multiculturalism. In Marrickville for example, we welcome refugees and have been helping people settle in since after WWII,” she said.



Newtown resident Peter Boyle, who signed the petition, agreed.



“Newtown is a very diverse community, we have got a large population of Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Sri Lankans … We continue to welcome them to contribute to diversity,” he said.



“It is important that we try to send a message to the politicians not to encourage racist ideas.”



Assembled under the mural, the organisers hoped to remind the community that fairness and equality needed to be fought for.



In the petition to Minister Anthony Albanese, a local federal member for Grayndler, community organisations and political parties stated clearly that the Newtown and Marrickville communities are ready to offer help to those disadvantaged, “even if governments won’t.”



Reverend Dave Smith from the Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Dulwich Hill said racism can be fought, by first acknowledging that change to discriminatory policies is needed.



“I do believe that it is within our power to cut off racism at its roots by saying no to prejudiced policies … by refusing to accept stereotypes of our indigenous sisters and brothers and by refusing to label refugees as criminals,” Mr Smith said.



A petition will be handed to the office of Minister Anthony Albanese this coming Thursday.