Voice for the voiceless, The Refugee Action Coalition, the Greens and Labour join together in protest to support asylum seekers

The Refugee Action Coalition, along with the Greens and Labour organised a protest outside the Sydney Town Hall today on George Street at 2pm.   There were numerous speakers including the Refugee Action Coaltion's Ian Rintoul, the Sisters of St Joseph's Susan Connelly (who is featured in the first video) and the Greens candidate Jenny Leong (in the second video).

The protest was very peaceful with 30 people at the start and a few stands with more information on the causes.  The causes being fought for at the protest were the rights of asylum seekers, anti Islamophobia, pro refugees and pro peace.

Protester Mia Sanders said that the protesters were standing up for the rights of those who can't stand up for themselves, typically the asylum seekers being held in detention camps.  She felt as if the Abbott Government was inhumane in the detention of asylum seekers and mentioned that there is a website tracking the deaths.  Her concern was that some of the people having decisions made about them aren't citizens and are essentially voiceless.

Sanders says "we're totally let down and it's a real shame to Australia.  Given we're a wealthy country we can sustain these lives" and that the Abbott Government has blood on their hands.

During the protest there were several speakers, including Greens candidate for the new seat of Newtown, Jenny Leong who said that the only good to come out of the former Howard Government's immigraton and refugee policy was motivating her to get involved in politics.  Leong delivered a speech in which she said that the Government was spreading a message of hate.  She also said that the only ones who should decide who coms to Australia are the Aboriginals, and made specific reference to the Gadigal people.

This sentiment was shared by Sr Susan Connelly of the Sisters of St Joseph who said that talkback hosts and the mainstream media were promoting messages of discrimination and that it was just a "theatre of politics".  Connelly was heartened to see the public backlash towards the banning of the Burqa.   She wants people to speak to refugees and hold senators accountable but "not to victimise the victimisers" and that "upholding dignity is important".   Connelly says we need to take all asylum seekers, regardless of how we get here rather than "bribing struggling nations like Cambodia to take our refugees".

By the time Leong had delivered her speech there were a few hundred peaceful protesters and a minor police presence.  According to Facebook however, 1300 people attended the protest.