Queen’s Baton Relay Interrupted by Protesters
Gold Coast – On Wednesday, Indigenous Aboriginal activists blocked the Queen’s Baton Relay – a leg of the Commonwealth Games. The protestors demanded Britain’s royal family which is represented by Charles and Camilla, to ask for permission to be on the “stolen” land.
Queen’s Baton Relay Protests
About 50 protestors interrupted the 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay. The protest, which took place at The Spit on the Gold Coast, included a sit-in all morning. For about an hour, the blockade disrupted the baton as it made its way to the final destination for the event’s opening ceremony.
“Today what we wanted to do was to make it clear to the mob, make it clear to the world and make it clear to our people that we’re standing strong,” one of the activists told the media.
“And we don’t want nothing of the Commonwealth here. They’ve stolen the land, built this country on stolen wages, built this country on the blood and bones of our people.”
“And it’s about time that history is acknowledged and about time that the royal families who are responsible for it all – that they come down here and get at our level and ask to be here on our country. That’s what needs to happen,” the protester added.
What Triggers the Anger?
According to reports, Aboriginals inhabited Australia for at least 50 000, before British people first sailed to Sydney in 1788, where they declared the land unoccupied. To date, there are about 700 000 of aboriginal Australians which are tracking near the bottom in almost every economic and social indicator including; imprisonment, domestic violence and suffer from high rates of suicide.
More Protests Ahead: 2018 Commonwealth Games
The Queen’s Baton Relay protest was an organised coalition of indigenous rights groups including the Brisbane Aboriginal-Sovereign Embassy and the members of the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR).
Protesting under the banner “Stolenwealth Games”, the activists plan to have another protest outside the Carrara Stadium ahead of tonight’s opening ceremony. They also vowed to demonstrate further over the coming 11 days.
David Grevemberg , the CEO for Commonwealth Games Federation, said the organisation welcomed peaceful protests.
Keep visiting the best online casino in Australia more news updates!
