Some people I know staged a protest vigil last week in Armidale's central mall. Their complaint was against Australia's long detention spanning 8 years of people mainly from Asia or the middle east who tried to migrate to our nation by boat from Indonesia. Most have been detained on a remote island of Papua New Guinea in shameful conditions and many people, including me, feel that it's time to let them settle here. Australia is an immigrant nation, with over 30% of the population not being born here. And our migrants come literally from all over the world.
And Armidale is no exception even though it is remote by global standards. In the last few years, for example, we have become home to some 300+ Ezidi people displaced from northern Iraq by Islamic State. As a community we have actively supported these arrivals in many ways - and our support has received warm reception in the national press.
So I went to those staging the vigil and offered my support by way of signing the relevant paper-work. And this is what I saw.
I got there at the very start shortly before lunch-time, so there just a few observers like me. However, I'd guess that come lunch-breaks there would be many more people in attendance.
AS
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