OZschwitz: Protesters storm parliamentary question time over human rights

At least a dozen protesters have interrupted the first parliamentary question time of the year by screaming "Stop the intervention, human rights for all" from the public gallery.

Security guards surrounded the protesters and placed a headlock on one man as they tried to remove him from the House of Representatives.

The protest was over the federal government intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal communities in response to harrowing claims of widespread child sex abuse.

The protesters also chanted the slogans "Shame ALP" and "Reinstate the RDA", referring to the Racial Discrimination Act.

Security guards took several minutes to remove the protesters from the public gallery.

Announced by the Howard government 18 months ago, the intervention required the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act in order to roll out some of the more controversial measures.

These include the compulsory quarantining of half of all welfare payments to ensure the money is not spent on grog, gambling or drugs.

Activists continued their protest outside Parliament House with about 30 people chanting noisily outside the front doors, while police and tourists looked on.

Carl Taylor, of Brisbane, said the group was angry police had earlier entered the Aboriginal tent embassy, near old parliament house, several hours earlier.

"They just came down there against our cultural right to preside over our cultural ceremonies,'' Mr Taylor said. "They said they wanted to arrest someone.''

The protesters, who represented many different indigenous groups, said they wanted an end to the NT intervention, and reinstatement of the Racial Discrimination Act.

Protesters were also responding to a High Court decision, handed down on Monday, to dismiss a challenge against the intervention.
The protesters later moved to the tent embassy.

LNK

OZschwitz: Protesters storm parliamentary question time over human rights

OZschwitz: Protesters storm parliamentary question time over human rights

Anarcho-Capitalist Categorical Imperatives

AnCaps On Realpolitik, Statism & Bureaucracy