Statements
Big turnout for Doctors’ protest on refugees
EARLIER on Tasmanian Times …
• What the protest was all about: Tasmanian Health Professionals protest for Refugees: bring them here
• Hobart locals to get loud for refugee human rights tomorrow
THE SATURDAY PAPER editorial …
Meanwhile … here’s the Media Release from today’s Parliament Lawns protest …
300 Tasmanian Health Professionals and their supporters say “Refugees: Bring Them Here”
What: Tasmanian health professionals protest for asylum seeker and refugee rights
When: 9am, Saturday 5th November
Where: Parliament Lawns, Parliament of Tasmania, Salamanca Pl, Hobart
300 Tasmanian health professionals and their supporters protested today in front of Tasmania’s Parliament House today, demanding humane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, and in opposition to the prolonged detention of asylum seekers
The rally was part of a national protest, organised by Doctors for Refugees, which aims to draw attention to increased evidence that asylum seekers are being permanently harmed by harsh treatment in centres.
The March has drawn interest from the AMA and the medical colleges who have long been concerned about the ethical issues of how refugees and asylum seekers are treated in the detention system.
March organiser, Dr David Berger, Executive of Doctors for Refugees, said: “Rational argument and evidence-based lobbying has so far failed. Australia’s doctors must now show moral leadership and take to the streets to protest at the appalling ill-treatment of innocent people, who could best be termed ‘Australia’s political prisoners’.”
300 people turned out in Hobart, braving forecast showers to support the cause.
Speaking at the rally was Dr Bryan Walpole, former President of the Tasmanian AMA, and a previous Director of the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department. Dr Walpole has spent periods of time working in both the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres, as well as on Christmas Island.
Quote taken directly from the rally: “I used to feel lucky to be an Australian. Now I feel ashamed. We are failing our international obligations as part of the global community. Shame, Mr Turnbull, shame”, he said.
“Refugees, who only want to save a life, their own, will never be able to settle here, or even visit, according to the governments latest proposal. Where is the justice and humanity?”
Tim Sanderson, a respected local psychologist, was the second speaker . Mr Sanderson has also worked at the Nauru Detention Centre.
From the rally: “The language we use matters”, he said. “These are refugees are not illegal. They are students, engineers, teachers, nurses, mechanics, shopkeepers, mothers, and fathers and children.”
“These people have done nothing to deserve this. I say bring them here.”
Geoff Couser