On September 30, more than 400 people gathered on the courthouse lawns in Mparntwe-Alice Springs to demand an end to the Northern Territory intervention.
From Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and across the NT they came to listen and learn the truth of what's happening on a daily basis to Aboriginal people living in proscribed areas.
In the beating sun they were welcomed to country and heard numerous speakers, both supporters and people from proscribed areas. Statements were read from residents of Darwin town camps unable to attend, and a local Greens councillor read out a statement from Senator Rachel Siewert offering the Greens' continual support.
Valerie Martin from Yuendumu told the crowd: "It's really bad what the government is doing to us. Not even listening to us. Especially with our rights.
"We are the first citizens of Australia yet we are not being recognised. … We're just nothing at the moment. Nothing."
Walter Shaw from Mount Nancy town camp said: "Our rights as Aboriginal people and as Australians need to be protected in all acts of the Commonwealth of Australia so we don't get legislated against.
"Governments need to show a political will. This intervention clearly shows that successive past governments and also the Rudd government are failing in … closing the gaps in Aboriginal [living conditions] on a national bloody scale."
The crowd then marched three kilometres to Heavitree Gap, where the women's statement from the previous day's proscribed areas people's meeting was read.
This meeting was the first of its kind since the intervention was imposed, and more than 100 people from proscribed areas as far away as Bagot (town camp in Darwin), Kalkarindji, Lajamanu, Yuendumu and the town camps of Alice Springs came together to share their stories and formulate a statement.
The statement was received with loud applause and cheers. Along with demanding the intervention end, the statement had the following to say:
Culture
We have been practising our culture for thousands and thousands of generations. We want to strongly maintain and practice our culture. We want to stay in our communities and pass on traditional knowledge to the future generations.
Governments
Governments don't listen to us. We want another government who is good, honest and respectful, with good people working for us. White men are trying to put us back, they like to be in the front. They're always taking over. Stay with Aboriginal law. Government people bringing in new ways are destroying our way.
Consultation
We want more consultation and communication. We want consultation in our languages. We want to work together. Intervention workers come in, they don't know our community and what we need, they don't work with us. Government Business Managers are not working properly for our community needs. Community management belongs to us. Government works 9 to 5, community is 24/7.
Going backwards
For old people the intervention is bringing up bad memories of the past, the old days, the ration days, the dog tag days and the mission days.
Elders
Our old people are our government. We listen to them. We want to employ our own people, young people, to care for families.
Elders want "Return to Country" programs and aged-care facilities in their communities. We listen to our old people, government should listen to them.
[Scott Foyster recently spent time in the NT where he was involved in the Darwin Aboriginal Rights Coalition. The Proscribed Area People's statement can be read in full at http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com, along with a longer article about the convergence on Mparntwe-Alice Springs.]