BY ARUN PRADHAN
MELBOURNE — Footscray residents, members of the Socialist Alliance, refugees, Victorian University staff and students and migrants originally from Egypt, Chile, Somalia, India and Papau New Guinea came together on May 10 for the inaugural meeting of the Refugee Action Collective (West).
The group's organisers hope to extend the successful work done by RAC (Victoria) into Melbourne's western suburbs, the location of the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre where asylum seekers are incarcerated.
One of the event's organisers, Tania Jorquera, told Green Left Weekly, "there is a huge resonance for these issues in the western suburbs, firstly because Maribyrnong detention centre is on our doorstep ... and secondly because of the western suburbs' diverse migrant population who are becoming more vocal in opposing these laws".
The group is planning to participate in a national day of action on June 3, when "people will be demanding refugee rights, permanent protection visas and an end to mandatory detention in every capital city in Australia", Jorquera said.
The rally will take place at the state library at 1pm, while a western suburbs contingent will meet at Footscray train station at 11.30am.
RAC (West) is also planning a local rally for refugee rights and a screening of a film which exposes Wackenhut, the company which owns ACM, the manager of Australia's detention centres.
The group is planning fortnightly organising meetings at Victoria University. For more information contact Daniel or Tania on 9362 7886.