Yoorrook Justice Commissioner to walk 400km to Victorian parliament
In the late 1800s, Wurundjeri leader William Barak, known as "the last chief of the Yarra Yarra tribe", led a walk to Parliament House where he successfully petitioned the government to keep the Coranderrk Aboriginal Mission open.
In 1939, Uncle Jack Patten was arrested when he and about 200 residents of Cummeragunja Station, in southern New South Wales, walked off in protest against horrible living conditions.
Today, Commissioner Lovett will embark on the Walk For Truth — a 400-kilometre trek starting in the far south-west Victorian city of Portland and ending 25 days later at Parliament House in Melbourne.
For Commissioner Lovett, Portand is personal.
He has strong family connections to the area, with lineage that goes back generations; his ancestors were among those who fought back against colonisers, helping earn the title "the fighting Gunditjmara".
"There's connection for me, being a proud Kerrupmara and Gunditjmara man from these lands," he says.
"And the story of colonisation in Victoria started here … the current systems are informed by the depth of the colonial past.
"Our people have walked on country for 60,000-plus years. This Walk for Truth that I'm doing builds on those legacies."
During the walk, Commissioner Lovett will visit significant cultural and historical sites throughout regional Victoria to bring attention to the commission's work ahead of its final report being handed down next month.
The report details an official account of the impact of colonisation on First Nations people in Victoria and is based on four years of hearings and submissions from more than 9,000 people.
He says it's devastating work but healing cannot happen without truth.
"Some of our people have come and shared truths with us representing three generations of injustices," Commissioner Lovett says.
He says he draws strength from those who have shared their stories.
"They have entrusted us to turn their lived experience in the state of Victoria into recommendations for change and transformation," he says.
One of those people is Gunditjmara Yorta Yorta woman Keicha Day.
"Before I wrote the submission, I was always asking wider community and the local council to engage in mature conversations around the true history of this country — it was never forthcoming," Ms Day says.
"This process has really catapulted me into having those conversations and I've found it challenging but also healing."
Ms Day has been working to de-colonise Portland's landscape by pushing for the removal of colonial monuments and the renaming of public spaces that hold colonial monikers.
Those efforts have made Ms Day a public-facing figure in the truth-telling conversation, something she says she's reluctantly coming to terms with.
"It's really hard to put yourself out there and be perceived by people who are sometimes committed to not understanding you or giving you and your mob empathy," Ms Day says.
"I feel like partaking in the Walk for Truth is a physical release of all the anxieties I've had along the way."
She says despite it all, she continues to show up for truth-telling because she sees it as the only tangible solution to the problems faced by her community.
"We're coming up to Sorry Day and in this process I've seen three lots of family groups have their children taken away from them," Ms Day says.
Sorry Day is Australia's national day to remember the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families.
"I've seen despair, unhealed people in my community that turn to suicide and I've seen the continuance of black deaths in custody and that's just unacceptable to me," she says.
Ms Day says once the commission's report is handed down, the state government must be held accountable to action the recommendations.
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The Age
17 hours ago
- The Age
A city grappling with antisemitism and the blaming of weekly pro-Palestine protests
For a year-and-a-half, many of Fiona Cochrane's Sundays have looked much the same. She boards a train, often with her children and grandchildren, and joins hundreds – sometimes thousands – of others outside the State Library to march in protest against the mass killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces. At these rallies, the Melbourne-born doctor is shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other protesters of all ages, races and religions, all motivated by the same cause. 'I don't want to be in my generation, watching another genocide, and not doing anything,' Cochrane says. This month, the pro-Palestine protest movement that began in October 2023, rallying every Sunday, faces its biggest challenge yet. On the night of July 4, a firebombing of East Melbourne Synagogue and the storming of Israeli restaurant Miznon horrified the nation. Charges have been laid over both incidents. The events sparked rapid federal and state action to stamp out antisemitism, together with widespread criticism – including by this masthead – of the protest that takes place every Sunday in the city. Alarmed by the uproar, advocates of the pro-Palestine movement fear their demonstrations have been weaponised and stress that this month's events should not be conflated with their weekly protests. Last weekend, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan slammed protesters for sticking to their plans to march on Sunday, two days after the incidents, and labelled chants of 'death to the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces]' as 'odious'. Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler goes further, arguing the right to protest should not infringe on the right of others to feel safe in the city. 'If you allow people to march through the streets of Melbourne, week after week, chanting 'globalise the Intifada' [an Arab word meaning 'uprising'], what happened on Friday night at the synagogue and at the restaurant is what that looks like,' Leibler says. The state government says it has no plans to introduce protest permits in Victoria, but has committed to new laws that would ban the use of masks, symbols of terrorist organisations and the use of 'dangerous attachment devices' such as glues and rope. Following the July 4 incidents, Allan established an anti-hate taskforce which discussed with Jewish community leaders how Victoria Police will enforce strengthened anti-vilification laws, passed this year, and may consider further measures over coming months. 'We agreed if there was further action we needed to take to keep Victorians safe, we will not hesitate to take it,' the premier said in a statement. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese separately announced on Thursday that his government would accept many of the recommendations of a major antisemitism report. The suggested action plan includes withholding funding from institutions that fail to combat Jewish hatred, screening visa applicants, embedding antisemitism education in school curriculums and funding Jewish cultural programs. Pro-Palestine activist groups have strongly condemned the synagogue attack and any act of antisemitism. And while Miznon was deemed an appropriate boycott target, the organised groups oppose violence, and the prevailing view is that the restaurant rampage went too far. The Age reported on Friday that the actions at Miznon were instigated by a small fringe group that often hijacks peaceful protests with more aggressive tactics. Miznon is part owned by Shahar Segal, who until recently was spokesman for the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been widely criticised for its aid distribution facilities in the Gaza Strip, after taking over from usual relief agencies. Witnesses, including UN officials, say Israeli forces have fired on starving Palestinians seeking food. Fiona Cochrane says that the Free Palestine protesters know violence won't serve their goal to move the Australian government to take measures against Israel. Loading She also isn't comfortable with the chant 'death to the IDF', which spread after rap group Bob Vylan led crowds to repeat the phrase at Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK two weeks ago, which is now being investigated by British police. But she adds: 'We need to think about our priorities here. Chanting something is completely different to actually killing 60,000 people.' Gaza's health ministry says more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed, over half of them women and children. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched attacks on Israeli communities that killed 1200 people and took 251 others hostage, according to Israeli tallies. At least 20 hostages are believed to still be alive in captivity. Cochrane says the riotous way the protests are sometimes portrayed does not reflect her experience. She has never witnessed violence coming from demonstrators. There is music, poetry and, sometimes, performances by children. People are draped in keffiyehs, wave handwritten placards and wear watermelon symbols in a sea of colours of the Palestinian flag. Some carry posters showing photos of some of the thousands of Palestinian children who have died. They discuss their anguish at the starvation and spread of deadly illness in Gaza, where aid is controlled by Israel, and where schools, health facilities and cities have been turned to rubble. 'I love the protests,' Cochrane says. 'It's people just being able to express their absolute frustration and despair at what is happening in the world.' Nachshon Amir is a former Israeli military officer whose treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank in the 1980s would eventually turn him into a pro-Palestine ally. The Israeli-born former Zionist recalls entering family homes in the middle of the night and terrifying children. 'I oppressed Palestinians with my own hands,' he says. Amir is now a Free Palestine Melbourne protest organiser and as a Jewish man – one of many who attend, including his children – he has always felt welcome at the rallies. He gets emotional as he describes how moved he is to hear Palestinians share their stories with the crowd. He says the protest leaders and speakers condemn violence and support inclusivity. 'Sometimes two people among thousands will [do the wrong thing], we can't control every one of them.' As a former IDF soldier, he says he has no problem with the 'death to the IDF' chant. Some say the phrase is antisemitic and calls for deaths of Jewish people, pointing out that all Israelis are conscripted to do military service. Amir disputes this: 'It doesn't mean death to people. The call is to dismantle and stop this big army of death. It has nothing to do with Judaism.' But like with the chant 'all Zionists are terrorists' – which Amir doesn't support – he thinks protesters should choose their words wisely to avoid getting caught in a political firestorm. Yamama Shourbaji agrees. The Syrian-born mother has marched almost every Sunday since October 2023 with her husband and three children, aged 20, 16 and 8. She says the meaning of the chant has been misrepresented and she questions why there isn't more horror over language that has been used by Israeli officials, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who vowed in May: 'Gaza will be entirely destroyed.' Still, Shourbaji says the chant should not be used. Instead, she believes protest leaders should encourage language that doesn't give others a reason to distract from the bigger issue of Palestinian lives. Shourbaji is deeply troubled by the prospect of restrictions on pro-Palestine protests, with the right to demonstrate being a pillar of democracy. 'We are always saying repeatedly at the protest that we are against all forms of violence and racism, including antisemitism,' she says. 'It can be emotionally heavy, especially when we hear stories from Gaza, but it's also deeply uplifting to stand together.' Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni is among the protest organisers. He is exasperated by what has played out this month, and says criticism of pro-Palestine demonstrators since July 4 is hurtful. 'It's hard to see … the complete and utter disconnect between what my community is experiencing and the way the government has reacted,' he says. 'It's abhorrent that what our community is witnessing in Gaza … continues to be second fiddle to the feelings of Australian Zionists.' Mashni says he is vehemently against antisemitism and attacks on religious sites. And while Miznon is a legitimate protest target, he says, he does not back violence. As for the 'death to the IDF' chant, Mashni says the outrage is misdirected: 'The fixation on words while our children are being butchered continues to exacerbate the pain of our people.' Mashni says the protests must not be curtailed. He describes them as restorative spaces filled with community spirit while calling for Australia to sanction Israel. 'That is what community is all about. We're supposed to empathise with the suffering of others in the world. We're supposed to care about our fellow humans,' he says. Mashni says he has only met once with the Victorian premier since October 2023, labelling it a failure of her leadership. 'All we've seen are crackdowns on protest and the ongoing threat of repressive new laws,' he says. 'No one group's experience should be elevated above the other's.' Loading A spokeswoman for the Allan government says its action plan to tackle antisemitism includes proposed laws protecting places of worship and banning terrorist symbols. 'Antisemitism is a cancer, and we are leaving no stone unturned to eradicate it here in Victoria,' she says. 'The taskforce will meet again in the coming weeks to discuss the progress of our plan.' The Coalition does not propose to ban protests outright, and Opposition Leader Brad Battin this week instead announced he would introduce a protest permit system if elected in 2026. 'We will encourage people to continue to have their protests in this state, but if you can do it by working with the Victoria Police, it may mean that businesses won't get blocked [so frequently],' Battin said. The Coalition has also pledged tougher move-on powers for police, giving them greater control to break up rallies without a permit and setting up exclusion zones. Jeremy Leibler backs the Coalition's proposed changes. He says the fact that the protest movement began 'in sin' on October 8, 2023 – while the bodies of Israel's dead were still being counted – strips away its legitimacy. He acknowledges there are well-meaning protesters, but says the use of the term 'genocide' is modern-day 'blood libel' and the rallies have facilitated incitement against the Jewish community by supporting the dismantling of Israel and using hateful imagery and chants. 'It became very obvious, very quickly, to the Jewish community that this [protest movement] was not really about Israel. This was about Jews,' Leibler says. 'It shouldn't have to be a normal thing for me to tell my child when he's going to the footy, 'Hide your Star of David that you wear around your neck on the train'. 'I can say with absolute conviction that the suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza is a terrible tragedy. I say that with no 'buts'. Where is the unequivocal condemnation of the 7th of October?' Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Philip Zajac says people should have the right to protest, but that right is not unfettered. He wants stricter state regulation. 'Melbourne, because of its lack of controls, is really recognised as a protest capital of the world. And I think not only the Jewish community, but the wider community is now totally fed up with the interference with their quiet enjoyment of the city,' he says. 'Enough is enough. Allow them to … do what they do, but do it in a way that doesn't interfere with the other 99 per cent of Melbourne.' Zajac recognises the regular protests are non-violent, but he is concerned by aggressive chants such as 'death to IDF' and 'all Zionists are genocidal baby-killers'. 'I'm a proud Zionist and what that means to me is that I believe in the existence of the state of Israel. Zionism is a belief that a land for the Jewish people should exist,' he says. 'Does that mean that I support the government of Israel? No, not necessarily. 'I think it's time for the war in Gaza to stop … The violent words and the hate speech and the offence in the expressions that are used at these rallies encourage rogue operators.' The Jewish Council of Australia has a different perspective. The organisation supports Palestinian freedom, and executive member Ohad Kozminsky attends and has spoken at the Free Palestine protests. 'These are important for demonstrating to the broader public that it is essential we keep talking about Israel's genocide,' he says. The council has slammed the antisemitic synagogue arson attack, however Kozminsky argues it is 'extremely dangerous' to lump this with the restaurant rampage. Intimidating diners is wrong, Kozminsky says, but targeting Miznon is a political act. Kozminsky worries about antisemitic attacks being linked to the pro-Palestine protest movement, as he has witnessed how the rallies welcome Jewish people and they consistently call out antisemitism. He warns that conflating political protest with antisemitism risks misrepresenting the diversity of views within the Jewish community, while also exacerbating antisemitism because it suggests all Jews represent the state of Israel and its actions. Gemma Cafarella is vice president of Liberty Victoria, a non-profit focused on safeguarding civil liberties. She calls for careful differentiation between acts of vilification and discrimination of Jews and legitimate criticism of Israel, the IDF and Zionism (a political ideology). That distinction was reinforced in a Federal Court judgment on July 1. Throughout history there have been protests that were viewed as hugely unpopular at the time, such as the suffragette and anti-Vietnam war movements, but Cafarella stresses that these are often later looked back on as essential vehicles of change. 'Protest can be inconvenient and disruptive and annoying, but it must be protected if we're to call ourselves a democracy,' she says. Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari says he will never sign a protest permit, and it is 'fundamentally wrong' for any government to pursue such restrictions. 'Protest is about disruption, and that is how you help make change,' he said. 'The right to protest must be ... preserved and protected. If you have to ask permission for it, it's not really a protest.' Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra says protests have become normalised. 'Because of that, now we're seeing clear racist actions and violence out of those protests,' Guerra says. 'Everybody has the right to protest, but they should be both peaceful and respectful.' Guerra calls on all levels of government to find a better way to run the events, reiterating his previous calls for a dedicated space for rallies. 'We are shutting businesses down because a few people want to protest. That's not respectful.' Acting Melbourne Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell says the right to protest does not extend to those who incite violence or hatred. 'Protests in Melbourne do not change the situation in Gaza, but they do create angst for traders, residents, workers and visitors in the CBD,' she says. For trader Michael Togias, there are much bigger issues for CBD businesses than the protests. Every Sunday, he gets a front-row view of the pro-Palestine protests. Togias owns Mr Tulk, the cafe at the State Library, where protesters congregate at midday. Not only is the rally good for his business – he knows by heart the coffee and food orders of some of the regulars – he has always found the protesters respectful and courteous. 'If people are trying to portray them as anything but peaceful, concerned protesters, it's out of context,' Togias says.
Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
A city grappling with antisemitism and the blaming of weekly pro-Palestine protests
For a year-and-a-half, many of Fiona Cochrane's Sundays have looked much the same. She boards a train, often with her children and grandchildren, and joins hundreds – sometimes thousands – of others outside the State Library to march in protest against the mass killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces. At these rallies, the Melbourne-born doctor is shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other protesters of all ages, races and religions, all motivated by the same cause. 'I don't want to be in my generation, watching another genocide, and not doing anything,' Cochrane says. This month, the pro-Palestine protest movement that began in October 2023, rallying every Sunday, faces its biggest challenge yet. On the night of July 4, a firebombing of East Melbourne Synagogue and the storming of Israeli restaurant Miznon horrified the nation. Charges have been laid over both incidents. The events sparked rapid federal and state action to stamp out antisemitism, together with widespread criticism – including by this masthead – of the protest that takes place every Sunday in the city. Alarmed by the uproar, advocates of the pro-Palestine movement fear their demonstrations have been weaponised and stress that this month's events should not be conflated with their weekly protests. Last weekend, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan slammed protesters for sticking to their plans to march on Sunday, two days after the incidents, and labelled chants of 'death to the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces]' as 'odious'. Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler goes further, arguing the right to protest should not infringe on the right of others to feel safe in the city. 'If you allow people to march through the streets of Melbourne, week after week, chanting 'globalise the Intifada' [an Arab word meaning 'uprising'], what happened on Friday night at the synagogue and at the restaurant is what that looks like,' Leibler says. The state government says it has no plans to introduce protest permits in Victoria, but has committed to new laws that would ban the use of masks, symbols of terrorist organisations and the use of 'dangerous attachment devices' such as glues and rope. Following the July 4 incidents, Allan established an anti-hate taskforce which discussed with Jewish community leaders how Victoria Police will enforce strengthened anti-vilification laws, passed this year, and may consider further measures over coming months. 'We agreed if there was further action we needed to take to keep Victorians safe, we will not hesitate to take it,' the premier said in a statement. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese separately announced on Thursday that his government would accept many of the recommendations of a major antisemitism report. The suggested action plan includes withholding funding from institutions that fail to combat Jewish hatred, screening visa applicants, embedding antisemitism education in school curriculums and funding Jewish cultural programs. Pro-Palestine activist groups have strongly condemned the synagogue attack and any act of antisemitism. And while Miznon was deemed an appropriate boycott target, the organised groups oppose violence, and the prevailing view is that the restaurant rampage went too far. The Age reported on Friday that the actions at Miznon were instigated by a small fringe group that often hijacks peaceful protests with more aggressive tactics. Miznon is part owned by Shahar Segal, who until recently was spokesman for the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been widely criticised for its aid distribution facilities in the Gaza Strip, after taking over from usual relief agencies. Witnesses, including UN officials, say Israeli forces have fired on starving Palestinians seeking food. Fiona Cochrane says that the Free Palestine protesters know violence won't serve their goal to move the Australian government to take measures against Israel. Loading She also isn't comfortable with the chant 'death to the IDF', which spread after rap group Bob Vylan led crowds to repeat the phrase at Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK two weeks ago, which is now being investigated by British police. But she adds: 'We need to think about our priorities here. Chanting something is completely different to actually killing 60,000 people.' Gaza's health ministry says more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed, over half of them women and children. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched attacks on Israeli communities that killed 1200 people and took 251 others hostage, according to Israeli tallies. At least 20 hostages are believed to still be alive in captivity. Cochrane says the riotous way the protests are sometimes portrayed does not reflect her experience. She has never witnessed violence coming from demonstrators. There is music, poetry and, sometimes, performances by children. People are draped in keffiyehs, wave handwritten placards and wear watermelon symbols in a sea of colours of the Palestinian flag. Some carry posters showing photos of some of the thousands of Palestinian children who have died. They discuss their anguish at the starvation and spread of deadly illness in Gaza, where aid is controlled by Israel, and where schools, health facilities and cities have been turned to rubble. 'I love the protests,' Cochrane says. 'It's people just being able to express their absolute frustration and despair at what is happening in the world.' Nachshon Amir is a former Israeli military officer whose treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank in the 1980s would eventually turn him into a pro-Palestine ally. The Israeli-born former Zionist recalls entering family homes in the middle of the night and terrifying children. 'I oppressed Palestinians with my own hands,' he says. Amir is now a Free Palestine Melbourne protest organiser and as a Jewish man – one of many who attend, including his children – he has always felt welcome at the rallies. He gets emotional as he describes how moved he is to hear Palestinians share their stories with the crowd. He says the protest leaders and speakers condemn violence and support inclusivity. 'Sometimes two people among thousands will [do the wrong thing], we can't control every one of them.' As a former IDF soldier, he says he has no problem with the 'death to the IDF' chant. Some say the phrase is antisemitic and calls for deaths of Jewish people, pointing out that all Israelis are conscripted to do military service. Amir disputes this: 'It doesn't mean death to people. The call is to dismantle and stop this big army of death. It has nothing to do with Judaism.' But like with the chant 'all Zionists are terrorists' – which Amir doesn't support – he thinks protesters should choose their words wisely to avoid getting caught in a political firestorm. Yamama Shourbaji agrees. The Syrian-born mother has marched almost every Sunday since October 2023 with her husband and three children, aged 20, 16 and 8. She says the meaning of the chant has been misrepresented and she questions why there isn't more horror over language that has been used by Israeli officials, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who vowed in May: 'Gaza will be entirely destroyed.' Still, Shourbaji says the chant should not be used. Instead, she believes protest leaders should encourage language that doesn't give others a reason to distract from the bigger issue of Palestinian lives. Shourbaji is deeply troubled by the prospect of restrictions on pro-Palestine protests, with the right to demonstrate being a pillar of democracy. 'We are always saying repeatedly at the protest that we are against all forms of violence and racism, including antisemitism,' she says. 'It can be emotionally heavy, especially when we hear stories from Gaza, but it's also deeply uplifting to stand together.' Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni is among the protest organisers. He is exasperated by what has played out this month, and says criticism of pro-Palestine demonstrators since July 4 is hurtful. 'It's hard to see … the complete and utter disconnect between what my community is experiencing and the way the government has reacted,' he says. 'It's abhorrent that what our community is witnessing in Gaza … continues to be second fiddle to the feelings of Australian Zionists.' Mashni says he is vehemently against antisemitism and attacks on religious sites. And while Miznon is a legitimate protest target, he says, he does not back violence. As for the 'death to the IDF' chant, Mashni says the outrage is misdirected: 'The fixation on words while our children are being butchered continues to exacerbate the pain of our people.' Mashni says the protests must not be curtailed. He describes them as restorative spaces filled with community spirit while calling for Australia to sanction Israel. 'That is what community is all about. We're supposed to empathise with the suffering of others in the world. We're supposed to care about our fellow humans,' he says. Mashni says he has only met once with the Victorian premier since October 2023, labelling it a failure of her leadership. 'All we've seen are crackdowns on protest and the ongoing threat of repressive new laws,' he says. 'No one group's experience should be elevated above the other's.' Loading A spokeswoman for the Allan government says its action plan to tackle antisemitism includes proposed laws protecting places of worship and banning terrorist symbols. 'Antisemitism is a cancer, and we are leaving no stone unturned to eradicate it here in Victoria,' she says. 'The taskforce will meet again in the coming weeks to discuss the progress of our plan.' The Coalition does not propose to ban protests outright, and Opposition Leader Brad Battin this week instead announced he would introduce a protest permit system if elected in 2026. 'We will encourage people to continue to have their protests in this state, but if you can do it by working with the Victoria Police, it may mean that businesses won't get blocked [so frequently],' Battin said. The Coalition has also pledged tougher move-on powers for police, giving them greater control to break up rallies without a permit and setting up exclusion zones. Jeremy Leibler backs the Coalition's proposed changes. He says the fact that the protest movement began 'in sin' on October 8, 2023 – while the bodies of Israel's dead were still being counted – strips away its legitimacy. He acknowledges there are well-meaning protesters, but says the use of the term 'genocide' is modern-day 'blood libel' and the rallies have facilitated incitement against the Jewish community by supporting the dismantling of Israel and using hateful imagery and chants. 'It became very obvious, very quickly, to the Jewish community that this [protest movement] was not really about Israel. This was about Jews,' Leibler says. 'It shouldn't have to be a normal thing for me to tell my child when he's going to the footy, 'Hide your Star of David that you wear around your neck on the train'. 'I can say with absolute conviction that the suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza is a terrible tragedy. I say that with no 'buts'. Where is the unequivocal condemnation of the 7th of October?' Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Philip Zajac says people should have the right to protest, but that right is not unfettered. He wants stricter state regulation. 'Melbourne, because of its lack of controls, is really recognised as a protest capital of the world. And I think not only the Jewish community, but the wider community is now totally fed up with the interference with their quiet enjoyment of the city,' he says. 'Enough is enough. Allow them to … do what they do, but do it in a way that doesn't interfere with the other 99 per cent of Melbourne.' Zajac recognises the regular protests are non-violent, but he is concerned by aggressive chants such as 'death to IDF' and 'all Zionists are genocidal baby-killers'. 'I'm a proud Zionist and what that means to me is that I believe in the existence of the state of Israel. Zionism is a belief that a land for the Jewish people should exist,' he says. 'Does that mean that I support the government of Israel? No, not necessarily. 'I think it's time for the war in Gaza to stop … The violent words and the hate speech and the offence in the expressions that are used at these rallies encourage rogue operators.' The Jewish Council of Australia has a different perspective. The organisation supports Palestinian freedom, and executive member Ohad Kozminsky attends and has spoken at the Free Palestine protests. 'These are important for demonstrating to the broader public that it is essential we keep talking about Israel's genocide,' he says. The council has slammed the antisemitic synagogue arson attack, however Kozminsky argues it is 'extremely dangerous' to lump this with the restaurant rampage. Intimidating diners is wrong, Kozminsky says, but targeting Miznon is a political act. Kozminsky worries about antisemitic attacks being linked to the pro-Palestine protest movement, as he has witnessed how the rallies welcome Jewish people and they consistently call out antisemitism. He warns that conflating political protest with antisemitism risks misrepresenting the diversity of views within the Jewish community, while also exacerbating antisemitism because it suggests all Jews represent the state of Israel and its actions. Gemma Cafarella is vice president of Liberty Victoria, a non-profit focused on safeguarding civil liberties. She calls for careful differentiation between acts of vilification and discrimination of Jews and legitimate criticism of Israel, the IDF and Zionism (a political ideology). That distinction was reinforced in a Federal Court judgment on July 1. Throughout history there have been protests that were viewed as hugely unpopular at the time, such as the suffragette and anti-Vietnam war movements, but Cafarella stresses that these are often later looked back on as essential vehicles of change. 'Protest can be inconvenient and disruptive and annoying, but it must be protected if we're to call ourselves a democracy,' she says. Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari says he will never sign a protest permit, and it is 'fundamentally wrong' for any government to pursue such restrictions. 'Protest is about disruption, and that is how you help make change,' he said. 'The right to protest must be ... preserved and protected. If you have to ask permission for it, it's not really a protest.' Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra says protests have become normalised. 'Because of that, now we're seeing clear racist actions and violence out of those protests,' Guerra says. 'Everybody has the right to protest, but they should be both peaceful and respectful.' Guerra calls on all levels of government to find a better way to run the events, reiterating his previous calls for a dedicated space for rallies. 'We are shutting businesses down because a few people want to protest. That's not respectful.' Acting Melbourne Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell says the right to protest does not extend to those who incite violence or hatred. 'Protests in Melbourne do not change the situation in Gaza, but they do create angst for traders, residents, workers and visitors in the CBD,' she says. For trader Michael Togias, there are much bigger issues for CBD businesses than the protests. Every Sunday, he gets a front-row view of the pro-Palestine protests. Togias owns Mr Tulk, the cafe at the State Library, where protesters congregate at midday. Not only is the rally good for his business – he knows by heart the coffee and food orders of some of the regulars – he has always found the protesters respectful and courteous. 'If people are trying to portray them as anything but peaceful, concerned protesters, it's out of context,' Togias says.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Indigenous truth-telling efforts ‘not going away' as key figures call for inquiries after Yoorrook Commission bombshell
More than two centuries after colonisation, a truth-telling commission has delivered its verdict that systemic racism still shapes the lives of First Nations people in Victoria. The recently tabled Yoorrook for Transformation report is the result of a multi-year 'truth-telling' process, which found systemic discrimination across Victoria's policing, custodial, childcare and education systems. In the aftermath of the Report's release, key figures from around the country have spoken about the national appetite for authentic, authoritative First Nations voices at the heart of the truth-telling process, and what that process may eventually look like in each state and territory. What is Truth Telling? Truth-telling is the process by which historical and ongoing injustices committed against First Nations people are catalogued for public record, particularly in circumstances where those records have largely been left out of common discourse. Truth-telling in Australia typically involves the gathering of evidence through a Royal Commission or similar authoritative body. Queensland In Queensland, a 'Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry' was established with bipartisan support in 2023 after years of preparation. In May 2023, then-Opposition Leader David Crisafulli addressed Queensland Parliament to express his enthusiasm for the 'Path to Treaty Bill,' which would enact legislation for the creation of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry. 'Path to Treaty is a genuine opportunity for our state to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians,' Mr Crisafulli said. 'It is an opportunity I believe Queensland should embrace wholeheartedly.' Just five months later, in the wake of the failed Voice referendum, Mr Crisafulli changed his tune, claiming the pursuit of treaty and truth-telling would lead to 'more division and uncertainty' and promising the LNP government would repeal the Path to Treaty Act if elected. After the LNP won Queenslanders over in October 2024, Mr Crisafulli made good on his promise, undoing six years of careful preparation in less than a month in government. Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, barrister-at-law Joshua Creamer, was the Chair of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry at the time it was abandoned. 'There was a six-year consultation and engagement process that led to the inquiry. It was conducted in consultation with the community and government, and then the implementation of very specific legislation,' Mr Creamer said. 'We were up and running. We had started hearing evidence, we'd started accepting submissions. We heard evidence from Aboriginal witnesses and director-generals and the Commissioner of Police, and we had even produced our first report. 'There was certainly a lot happening at the time that we were abolished.' Mr Creamer said the LNP's decision came abruptly and took those working on the Inquiry almost completely by surprise. 'Certainly, those last three or four weeks were challenging but also surprising in terms of the lack of engagement and the level of contempt the Premier and the ministers showed towards the Inquiry,' he said. 'I still have not spoken to the Premier or the Minister about why those events occurred in the way they did. There was just a real disregard – not just for the inquiry but the six-year process that led to its establishment.' Despite this, Mr Creamer remains optimistic. 'Even towards the end of the Inquiry, I was really surprised by how many non-Indigenous organisations and institutions spoke up in support of the need for the truth-telling process,' he said. 'There will always continue to be a desire for this process to happen. It might just mean we'll be waiting for a change in government for that change to occur. 'The fact that Yoorrook has been successful now is a good demonstration of the importance of the process. It's not going to go away.' New South Wales In New South Wales, truth-telling has taken a back seat to make way for immediate treaty consultations. Three treaty commissioners were appointed in September 2024 by the Minns Government to undertake a year-long consultation process with First Nations communities across the state, to understand whether an appetite for a treaty exists and whether truth-telling will be incorporated into the process. At the time, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said the appointment of the Commissioners was 'central to the process of listening to Aboriginal people on treaty and agreement-making'. 'We get better outcomes when we listen to the needs of Aboriginal people and communities. We must ensure Aboriginal people have a direct say on matters that affect them,' he said. NSW Legislative Council member Sue Higgins manages the state Greens' First Nations Justice and Heritage portfolio. She said 'all eyes have paid attention' to Yoorrook and how it established the blueprint for truth-telling in the states and territories. 'It arguably has been one of the best processes to date,' Ms Higgins said. 'The First Nations leadership around Yoorrook has been incredible, and the self-determined way in which the power of that process has operated has been very compelling.' Despite the successes witnessed in Victoria, Ms Higgins said NSW was 'incredibly slow' in getting any form of truth-telling or treaty process up and running. 'The Minns Labor Government came to power in 2023 on the promise they would start the treaty process in New South Wales, and when the Voice referendum failed … there was politicisation and backtracking,' she said. 'That was a frightening period in NSW history, and I think it must have been quite shocking for people.' Ms Higgins said the steps taken to appoint Treaty Commissioners were positive, but it was ultimately unclear – at least until consultations reach a conclusion – where truth-telling sits on the agenda. 'Where exactly a truth process sits within this is interesting, because the NSW government narrative doesn't really talk about truth-telling … for some that may be concerning, but obviously you can't predetermine an outcome,' she said. 'Where the truth-telling will sit at the end of this consultation is really still the open question.' The Territories The Northern Territory underwent a significant period of consultation between 2019 and 2023 to establish a path to treaty, part of which included a commitment to a truth-telling process. In early 2023, the NT government announced the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) would begin recording testimony for the purpose of truth-telling, and in 2024 the government began distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of grants for the facilitation of truth-telling. In 2025, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) abandoned the path to treaty and, by proxy, truth-telling. The Australian Capital Territory does not currently have a formalised truth-telling process. South Australia, WA and Tasmania South Australia has legislated a First Nations Voice to Parliament, but no explicit mentions of a truth-telling process have yet been made. While there is no formal truth-telling process in WA, a joint project between First Nations communities and the WA Government known as the 'Wadjemup Project' was launched in 2020. The project uncovered the history of Aboriginal incarceration and forced childhood removal in WA. Tasmania has elected to undergo a process similar to NSW by appointing a body of 'truth-telling and healing commissioners,' which will undertake a similar process to the NSW commissioners but with a focus on truth-telling rather than treaty.
