Aboriginal protest camp closed down

January 19, 2000
Issue 

By Bronwen Beechey

ADELAIDE — On January 7, the South Australian police, on government orders, broke up a protest camp of Arabunna people and their supporters outside Government House on North Terrace.

Police arrived at the camp at 6am, removed tents and banners and put out a ceremonial fire. They arrested Arabunna elder Kevin Buzzacott and a 50-year-old woman after both refused to leave.

The representatives of the Arabunna people had arrived here from their country in the state's north on December 16. They had come to Adelaide to attend a court case in which it was alleged that Western Mining Corporation was committing an act of genocide against the Arabunna by mining uranium on their land. They set up camp on North Terrace, saying they would stay until state governor Eric Neal agreed to meet with them.

On December 23, the Supreme Court dismissed the charge of genocide brought by Buzzacott against WMC director Hugh Morgan. On the same day, the Adelaide City Council (ACC) called for the protest camp to be limited to daytime. Councillors claimed that the protesters were breaking council by-laws by camping overnight and maintaining a ceremonial fire.

There were also accusations of drunkenness, abusing passers-by, and urinating and defecating in public, including in the National Soldiers' Memorial near the protest site. Predictably, these accusations were trumpeted in the Advertiser with no attempt to allow the protesters to reply to the claims.

The ACC called on the state government to respond to the Arabunna people's request to discuss their claims. Liberal Premier John Olsen refused and called on the council to enforce its by-laws.

Democrat MLC Sandra Kanck supported the protesters' right to stay, suggesting that the council provide portable toilets and other facilities rather than harass them. "It's a question of freedom of speech — these people have been turned out of their own land", she said.

On December 24, the ACC fined Buzzacott $100 for breaking council by-laws and threatened to impose a further $100 fine each day the camp remained. Early on the morning of December 25, and again on December 29, council officers and police raided the camp, dousing the ceremonial fire and confiscating tents and banners. The protesters remained undaunted.

The protesters have complained about their treatment to a number of organisations, including the Equal Opportunity Commission and the State Ombudsman, claiming that their protest was being harassed because it was an Aboriginal protest. They pointed out that a vigil in support of East Timor last September was allowed to stay on the steps of Parliament House for more than a week without any interference.

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