Commonwealth Games indigenous protesters vow to return again today
INDIGENOUS protesters who hijacked a morning television show vow to return again this morning as Commonwealth Games festivities continue.
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PROTESTERS say they’ll be back this morning after hijacking Channel Seven’s Sunrise broadcast at Broadbeach yesterday, as a local MP questioned their right to stay on the Spit, where camping is illegal.
A crowd of at least 40 people gathered at the beach behind the presenters’ outdoor set, demonstrating against the show’s decision last month to discuss Aboriginal adoption on a Sam Armytage-led Hot Topic segment which they said had spiralled into “blatant racism”.
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek weighed in on the issue on twitter yesterday.
“Camping at Doug Jennings Park at the Spit in Surfers Paradise electorate is against State and Council laws,” he wrote.
“Indigenous protesters have set up camp there, have disrupted the Queens Baton Relay for GC2018, opening ceremony and today Sunrise.
“They should be removed.”
However Hal Morris, head of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, which manages the Spit, said the protesters had been granted a permit and paid a bond to stay in the park, the same way anyone else would.
“It is exactly the same process as we have for Magic Millions or Polo by the Sea,” he said.
“It needs to be within the purposes of the Land Act, which it is.”
While the breakfast show struggled to move forward amid the chaos yesterday morning, protesters chanted: “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land,” before adding, “Sam Armytage, we are still waiting on an apology.”
The hosts struggled to continue and be heard while the protesters chanted, with David Koch saying they “support and respect anyone being able to protest and get their view”.
“Happy to have them here, and to express their view, but we have to be a bit careful with language and aggression,” he said.
“As regular viewers would know, we have lots of families and kids here. It’s school holidays in Queensland, it’s the Commonwealth Games, and while we respect everybody’s right to protest ... there are a lot of families on holidays.”
“We have to be very careful with some of the language going to air. I do want to point out that the original segment that sparked this was that children are at risk, not about land rights
... just keep that in mind,” Armytage chimed in.
Protesters cleared out during an ad break, with one saying “see you tomorrow”.
The Stolenwealth Games Protest is being organised by a national committee that includes members of the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) and the Brisbane Aboriginal-Sovereign Embassy. Protesters have travelled from across the country to take part.
Yugambeh elder Ted Williams said his people had no problem with protesting, as long as it didn’t disrupt the Games, or bring his people or GOLDOC into disrepute.
“In my personal view, what happened in the broadcast was rude and nothing more,” he said.
The group consists of protesters from around the country, who were allocated a “base camp” at Doug Jennings Park.
Camping at The Spit has been a contentious issue for years, with the waterways authority building barriers and increasing patrols of the area, which carries a $1200 fine for illegal camping.
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