Wollongong refugee rally

June 30, 2016
Issue 

A crowd of about 200 attended the Wollongong welcomes refugees rally on June 25. Held during Refugee Week, the rally and march aimed to show support for people seeking asylum in Australia, to call for the closing of all the detention centres, and to let the government know that Wollongong welcomes refugees.

"If politicians are so against allowing refugees to come here, why do they facilitate the bloody wars that started it in the first place?" Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery told the crowd.

The crowd also heard from Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon, former refugee and supervisor at Green Connect Emmanuel Bakenga, Gary Keane from the Maritime Union of Australia and Reverend Geoff Flynn of the Wollongong Uniting Church.

The event was organised by Refugee Action Collective Illawarra.

Photos by Cali and Sharon Pusell

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