‘Shameful’: Clover Moore slams No voters
Sydney’s Lord Mayor has slammed Australians who voted “no” to The Voice — describing their actions as “shameful” — at an Invasion Day rally in Sydney, which involved not just Indigenous supporters but also a large contigent of Palestinian protestors.
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The Lord Mayor of Sydney has slammed Australians who voted “no” to The Voice, describing their actions as “shameful”.
Clover Moore made the scathing comments during a speech on stage at the Yabun Festival at Victoria Park in Sydney as part of Invasion Day demonstrations.
“Despite the failure — the shameful failure of Australians to vote YES … I am proud that 70 per cent of the people in the city of Sydney voted yes,” Ms Moore said.
The Lord Mayor criticised “colonial statues” in Sydney, claiming “it has been our policy since I’ve been Mayor to invest in First Nations public art and facilities.”
The Lord Mayor also took a swipe at Anthony Albanese for refusing her request to move Australia Day away from January 26.
“I previously asked the Prime Minister to consult with all the Premiers so they could agree on a date for Australia Day that would enable all Australians to celebrate.
“I got a weak no action response. And so we moved the City of Sydney’s Australia Day ceremony to the 29th of January.”
Last year Ms Moore handed the YES-23 campaign a $25,000 rental in the Sydney CBD.
She also promised to install a Voice to Council should the referendum fail.
From Gaza to Gadigal: Invasion Day supporters join forces with Palestinian community
Demonstrators at Invasion Day events have stood in solidarity with supporters of Palestine, jointly calling for “freedom.”
A large contingency of Palestinians attended Sydney’s rally, carrying national flags and wearing traditional keffiyeh.
The group carried signs reading “from the river to the sea … always was always will be” and “stop the war on Gaza-free Palestine”.
Another sign displayed the Aboriginal and Palestinian flags together with the words “LAND BACK”.
One of the women invited to address the crowd spoke about “ending colonisation here and in Palestine … from Gadigal to Gaza”.
This was followed by a performance of a song called “ceasefire now”.
Organisers of the Invasion Day rally claimed on Facebook they were being supported by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, Trade Unionists for Palestine, PSA Unionists for Palestine, Jews Against the Occupation 1948 and the Palestine Justice Movement Sydney.
Thousands of protesters met this morning at Belmore Park before walking to Victoria Park in Camperdown.
They were heard chanting “whose streets? Our streets” Whose land? Our land.”
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has slammed the decision to invite Palestinian protesters to the Sydney Invasion Day rally, describing the move as “bizarre” and “disgraceful”
“It is quite disgraceful that on a day that we should be celebrating this nation … that we have people picking sides in a war in the Middle East” Mr Mundine said. “I find it totally bizarre.
“Some people say they want to change the date, when in fact they don’t want to celebrate a national day at all.”
Mr Mundine — who has previously called for Australia Day to be moved to January 1, the date of Federation — said “there is no link” between Indigenous Australians and the people of Palestine.
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