Remember when: Aboriginal and anti-racist groups planned demonstrations for 1982 Comm Games

AN Aboriginal land rights battle was to focus on Tweed Heads three days before the Brisbane Commonwealth Games were to be held.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 1982, May 13. Front page.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Thursday May 13, 1982

AN Aboriginal land rights battle was to focus on Tweed Heads three days before the Brisbane Commonwealth Games were to be held.

Organisers predicted their demonstration would attract worldwide attention.

Several thousand anti-racist protesters were expected to converge on the border region to get their message across.

However, the organising groups, including the Black Protest Committee and the Adelaide-based Campaign Against Racial Exploitation (CARE) said they wanted a peaceful demonstration.

“We will ask our people to rally on the other side of the border because at that time Queensland will be even more a police state,” said protest committee co-ordinator Ross Watson.

“This must be a peaceful demonstration that gives us the chance to get our message across to the world.”

Gold Coast Bulletin 1982, May 13. Front page.

CARE co-ordinator Jim Gale said the rally would take the form of a three-day event featuring “a cavalcade to Brisbane”.

The first day was to have a carnival atmosphere, with song, dance and entertainment programs planed.

Then the protesters were to move to the border for a special ceremony.

“That’s when we will recognise that the Aborigines will be changing their status when they move over the border into Queensland,” Mr Gale said.

“From there we will travel in cars to Brisbane with banners and placards taking our message to the state’s capital.”

He said the protests would be a focus point for world attention on the plight of the Aboriginal people.