After "The Long Walk" comes the new epic adventure: The Long Blockade
On Monday May 12, the Senate passed the Hindmarsh Island Bridge Bill (with the Democrats, Greens and Brian Harradine opposed). The media reported that the Bill would allow the construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge, but this is an oversimplification. What the Act actually does is exclude the Hindmarsh Island Bridge from the provisions of the Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, thus preventing the Ngarrindjeri people from having their heritage claim heard.
That such a Bill can be passed is outrageous, but it is in keeping with the abuse of power and law which has characterised the Hindmarsh Island Bridge saga. We have already seen the courts stifle the then Minister Robert Tickner's attempt to have the heritage claim heard with sensitivity to the secretness of the women's business, a Royal Commission which labelled Ngarrindjeri spiritual beliefs as fabrications, court actions to silence those protesting against the bridge - all coupled with a campaign of misinformation and abuse from key sections of the media.
The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Act will be challenged in the High Court on a number of grounds:
· that it is racially discriminatory;
· that it takes away existing rights of Ngarrindjeri people under the Heritage Protection Act without compensation;
· that it breaches their right to freely practice their religion; and ultimately
· that the Commonwealth does not have the constitutional power to make laws
detrimental to Aboriginal people.
These are important issues in relation to Wik and other native title issues, but even if the High Court challenge is successful the Hindmarsh Island Bridge may still be built. The Ngarrindjeri heritage claim can still be ignored or arbitrarily rejected by the Federal Minister.
And so the call for a nonviolent "Long Blockade".
The Kumarangk Coalition, which has been organising against the Bridge and in support of the Ngarrindjeri women since 1993, has announced that a blockade would begin when and if construction work started. The Long Blockade will consist of a variety of nonviolent direct actions, symbolic protests, music and support actions. The Kumarangk Coalition is asking people to pledge to go to Goolwa (the site of the Bridge) or to support the Blockade in any way they can.
The Long Blockade follows the very successful Long Walk from Adelaide to Goolwa in November last year. As reported in previous issues of NvT, that Walk brought together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in a journey for knowledge and sharing and in protest at the abuse of power which was represented by the Bridge and the politics surrounding it. The strength and solidarity built up in the Walk will be important in building the Long Blockade. It will also be important for as many people as possible to pledge their support and commitment.
The Pledge provides a useful organising tool for the Blockade. Signing the Pledge is a personal commitment to action - not a simple protest in expectation that someone else (the state) will stop the Bridge. It is also an explicit commitment to nonviolent action and names the destruction of the Ngarrindjeri heritage as a form of violence. The Pledge clearly and publicly states the reasons for the opposition to the Bridge, the reasons for taking actions, and that the actions will be nonviolent.
Because construction work will not begin until after the High Court challenge, there is time to gather a large number of Pledges and for groups to organise nonviolent actions. All Nv activists who support the principles in the Pledge are invited to participate in the Long Blockade.
Greg Ogle
For further information contact:
The Kumarangk Coalition
120 Wakefield St, Adelaide 5000.
Ph (08) 8223 5155