[IPSM] {Australia} 3rd firebomb attack on Aboriginal Tent Embasssy, Canberra

[Stefan Christoff]

Also check-out http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org - For more in-depth
coverage, - Stefan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 19:27:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: Daniel Moss <sustainablesnail at sasmail.net>


Media Release 17th August 2004

Third firebomb attack at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy Canberra

Monday night, at 9pm the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, on the lawns opposite
Old Parliament House was a boom and a blast with the third firebomb attack
in just over 12 months.  The Aboriginal Tent Embassy has been the driving
force of the Aboriginal Sovereignty movement since 1972 and remains the
grassroots platform for the voices of Aboriginal Peoples.

"This is a deliberate attempt to drive us from the tent embassy site, it's
quite a few times that we've been attacked now and it's just another
example of the lengths they'll go to to get rid of us. This is the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy and, we won't go away we will stay and fight, we
have a right to life and a right to existence and a right to being who we
are, Aboriginal people," declared Aboriginal Tent Embassy Elder, Uncle
Neville Chappie Williams in front the blazing camp.

"The fact that people are forced to firebomb us shows they have no
legitimate way to move us and only makes us more determined to stay.
This kind of attack justifies why the embassy needs to be here.
Aboriginal people are under constant attack, there is still a genocidal
war going on," stated Arinya Freeman who has been subjected to all three
attacks on the embassy.

"They have no legitimate way to get rid of the embassy so they have been
reduced to violent attacks" affirmed Gandra Penola resident of the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy. "This is the third time in the last year the
embassy has been fire bombed, when is there going to be a full
investigation".

"This is the third fire bomb here at the embassy, does someone need to die
before these attacks get properly investigated" asked Enid Freeman of the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy.

After the first fire bomb attack July 2003, the embassy applied under the
Freedom of Information Act to obtain copies of the Old Parliament House
security video tapes to assist with investigations. The embassy was denied
access to these tapes as it would disclose the footprint of the
surveillance cameras. Despite repeated requests to AFP investigating
officer Charmane Quade, The AFP have refused to release their findings
from the previous attacks.

"There are cameras everywhere and they won't gives us the tapes but we are
not a security risk, we are peaceful people" Uncle Neville Chappie
Williams, "We are in the face of the government here and people motivated
by power and greed and the colour of money want to see the embassy gone."

"This is an attack within the Parliamentary precinct, if any other embassy
was firebombed there would be serious repercussions. If the American
Embassy was firebombed there would be a state of emergency, but the
Aboriginal Embassy barely gets a mention" stated Terrah Freire resident of
the embassy.

There will be a press conference at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy at 11:00
am Tuesday 17th August 2004 at the Sacred Fire, Aboriginal Tent Embassy,
Lawns Opposite Old Parliament House, Canberra.

For more information contact Neville Chappie Williams: 0416 316 774

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