May Day actions began in the city with a symbolic blockade of DIMIA offices at Casselden Place. As part of the protest people were invited to write messages for Maribyrnong detainees on cards, which were then attached to the wire. Later in the day the cards were collected and taken out to Maribyrnong for delivery during the protest action planned there.
Also taken out to the center was a wreath which Pamela Curr of the Greens had earlier laid at the blockade in memory of those who have lost their lives as a result of the Australian Government's policies:
Here is part of a press release from the Greens:
On M1 Greens and other refugee advocates will lay a wreath at the doors of DIMIA (Dept of Immigration, Indigenous and Multicultural Affairs) in memory of two little boys who died while waiting in "the Queue". "We will remember all the children, the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts , grannies and grandfathers who have died fleeing war and violence and not made it past the naval blockade set up by the Australian Government" says Pamela Curr of the Victorian Greens.
In Kenya last week two small boys aged 9 and 10, the remaining children of their mother, were killed as they slept. Her three other children had been murdered in the Rwandan genocide of l994.
They were on their way to a new life in Australia where they would be free from daily terror, if not from their memories. In January the family were approved for resettlement but despite being aware of the danger they were in, the Department of Immigration continued to process them at the usual speed.
The children's mother, who was brutally stabbed many times on the evening her children were murdered, is now being fast-tracked to Australia. In the same way another woman was supposedly fast-tracked by the Australian government months after her three little girls drowned off Indonesian shores last year.
When protesters started arriving at the centre, which was well before the advertised time of 2 pm, there was already a strong police presence, including horses, and a helicoper overhead. After some discussion at the main gates, protesters moved as usual to the back of the compound, and numbers started growing:
Meanwhile, other protesters made their way around through the playing fields to the farthest accessible corner of the outer perimeter wire, and started cutting a gap in it. It was some while before the police caught up with this, and several people had passed through the gap and were making their way along the outside of the new fence towards the main building where detainees were locked up for the duration of the protest. At first the police seemed uncertain what to do, but then they attempted arrests, and there were scuffles as protesters intervened. Eventually the entire police contingent appeared to be concentrating on arresting one particular protester, and there was a series of football-style pile-ups as protesters again and again prevented the police from marching off with their capture. This continued for several hundred metres from the hole in the fence out to the street. Eventually the protester was released, but a few people had been knocked about in the process, and one women was taken to hospital with leg injuries, having apparently been trampled on.
After this police withdrew from the gap in the outer fence, and protester were able to make their way around the inner fence to contnue their show of support for the detainees, who could be seen crowding at the windows. There was too much noise to allow much in the way of conversation, but one detainee could be heard saying again and again "We love you".
The cards with messages from the morning blockade arrived too late to be delivered at the start of procedings, and from then onwards events took control. But about 85 were collected and are now being scanned and transcribed for posting here, before the originals are passed on. Thanks to all those who wrote their messages of support.
One thing worth noting in passing was the state of the open grassy area, which was supposed to be available for detainees' use once the new fence was completed - this was last November - and then was supposed to need levelling before it could be used - this was some weeks ago. There are plenty of suburban lawns that need more attention than this patch...
After this page was posted I received an email with two more photos of the day's events at Maribyrnong attached - thanks to Lisa for the following:
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