10 Years Too Long

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Actions and Rallies: (2023)

19 July Actions – 10 Years Too (bloody) Long    List of actions       Resources for 10 Years Too Long actions    Refugees Off PNG campaign   Background – Offshore detention since 2012 On Wednesday 19th July 2023, it will be 10 long years since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that anyone seeking asylum who arrived by boat would be ‘never allowed to settle in Australia’ and would be subject to offshore detention.  This resulted in the regime of cruelty under which thousands of men, women and children suffered years in appalling conditions in detention on Nauru and Manus Island. See further detail on background here

In the week of 19 July, we are calling for an End to 10 Years of Trauma:

  • Bring refugees from PNG to safety
  • Permanent visas for ALL refugees
  • Replace the broken ‘Fast Track’ system
  • End Offshore Processing
Media release is here (Word Doc)

Listing of 10 Years Too Long Events   ( 19 – 23 July)   

ACT  

NSW

  • Sydney:    Sunday 23 July 2023, 1.00pm – 3.00pm    Sydney Town Hall Rally – Labor’s refugee shame: Ten years too bloody long Organised by Refugee Action Coalition (Sydney RAC) Facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/251677744071258
  • Armidale:  Wednesday 19 July 2023  5.15-6.00 pmVigil  – 10 Years Too Long Central Park, Armidale (near the Rotunda) Organised by Armidale Rural Australians for Refugees Further detail  arar-owner@une.edu.au
  • Blue Mountains: Wednesday 19 July  1.00pmSilent Vigil – outside Susan Templeman’s office in Lawson Also social media campaign – what were you doing 10 years ago? Organised by the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group Sunday 23 July Vigil in Springwood Organised by Grandmothers for Refugees
  • Newcastle:  Wednesday 19 July  4.00pm Action at MP Sharon Claydon’s office cnr Hunter/Auckland St Newcastle Focus on the 80 refugees abandoned in PNG Organised by Hunter Seeker Asylum Awareness (HASA) Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hunterasylumseekeradvocacy/
  • Wollongong:  Wednesday July 19th 3.00pm Vigil outside Alison Byrrnes’ (MP for Cunningham) Office 74 Crown Street, WollongongOrganised by Refugee Action Collective Illawarra Facebook event:   https://www.facebook.com/events/6579952985381111/?ref=newsfeed

VICTORIA

  • Melbourne:  Wednesday 19 July 5.00pm,  State Library of Victoria Sing for Refugee Rights – 10 years too long

    Organized by:  Love Makes A Way Enquiries:  lovemakesawaymelb@gmail.com

  • Melbourne:   Rally on Saturday 22 June   2.00pm,  State Library of Victoria, Swanston Street Rally:  10 years too bloody long: permanent visas for all now Organised by Refugee Action Collective (Vic) Facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1326514034593412
  • Melbourne:   Vigil Action on Friday 21 July at 11.00amMinister O’Neil’s office, 17 Atherton Road, Oakleigh This vigil action will mark the 10th anniversary of the policy of Offshore Processing. For further details contact  gm_moore@bigpond.net.au
  • Alexandra:   Vigil Wednesday 19th July at 10.00am  Alexandra Rotunda Organised by Alexandra (Vic) RAR Enquiries :     rawalsh145@icloud.com
  • Ballarat:    Wednesday 19 July  11.30am – 12.30pm11.30am    Gathering at MP Catherine King’s office, Lydiard Street North Followed by Vigil at Queen Victoria Square (opposite Town Hall) 12noon    Alfred Memorial Bells will ring 10 time for 10 years of trauma Organised by Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees   rarballarat@gmail.com
  • Bendigo:    Banner Making Workshop on Saturday 8th July and Vigil on Friday 21st July Organised by Bendigo RAR Banner making workshop on Saturday 8th July at 2.00pm – 4.00 pm Trades Hall, View St, Bendigo – this is for the Ten Years Too Bloody Long vigil Ten years – too bloody long vigil on Friday 21st July at 4.30pm at the corner of Rosalind Park, opposite the fountain
  • Brunswick:    Sunday 16 July  12.00pm – 1.00pm   260 Sydney Road Brunswick Ecumenical Prayer Vigil  – 10 Years Too Long Come together to pray in lament and hope for refugees on the 10th anniversary of Australia’s offshore processing policy Organised by Brunswick Uniting Church Further detail: iferguson@icloud.com
  • Yea:   Vigil Wednesday 19th July at 10.00am  Main Street Yea Organised by Alexandra (Vic) RAR Enquiries :     rawalsh145@icloud.com

QUEENSLAND

TASMANIA

  • Hobart:  Friday July 14 from 5.00pm – 6.00pm  cnr of Murray and Macquarie StsThe Tasmanian Refugee Rights Action Group will be holding their monthly honkathon on the 14th July with “10 yrs too bloody long ” and similar messages on placards
  • Hobart:  Friday July 21 from 11.30am – 12.30pm  cnr of Murray and Macquarie The Tassie Nannas will be having their usual knitting vigil with “10 yrs too bloody long ” messages and postcards to sign. They will then make their way to Senator Carol Brown’s office to gather outside the office with placards.
  • Hobart:  Friday July 21 at 12.30pm Walk to MPs offices – leaving from Elizabeth Street Mall Refugee Rights group and Tassie Nannas will walk to Senator Carol Brown’s office for a display of placards. A letter asking for the refugees from PNG to be brought to Australia will be delivered to Senator Carol Brown’s office.  Letters will also be delivered to Senator Katryna Bilyk in Kingston and the Minister for Housing and the Homeless Julie Collins M.P.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

  • Adelaide:  Wednesday 19th July 12.00pm – 1.00pmRefugees in Limbo – 10yrs too long – Actions at MPs offices:   all 12-1pm 21 Commercial Rd, Port Adelaide – Office of The Hon Mark Butler MP Office (J4RSA) – see FB event 232 Main S Rd, Morphett Vale -Office of The Hon Amanda Rishworth Office (J4RSA) – see FB event 70 Franklin St, Adelaide – Office of The Dept of Home Affairs (Adelaide Vigil)  – see FB event Actions organised by Justice 4 Refugees SA (J4RSA) and the Adelaide Vigil The J4RSA Management Committee will also be sending letters/meeting with key MPs and Ministers, and we are asking our members/supporters to also send letters and meet with MPS.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN TERRITORY

GREECE 19 July     7 – 8pm  (in Greece)     (AEST  20 July   2am – 3am) Thessaloniki solidarity action – Kamara Australia’s Refugee Shame: #10YearsTooBloodyLong Australia’s draconian and inhumane policies have been a terrible example across the world, not least here in Greece. Boat pushbacks are now part of the Mitsotakis government’s practice, and closed detention centres are being built on the Aegean Islands. Organised by KEERFA:!KEERFA-Salonikis Facebook event:  https://facebook.com/events/s/australias-refugee-shame-thess/991606338701965/?mibextid=RQdjqZ International Alliance Against Mandatory Detention group is encouraging solidarity actions outside Australian embassies and consulates (and/or in prominent places if no such embassy exists).  Actions may be organised in London, Rome, Setubal (a small city in Portugal), and Los Angeles. Facebook event:   https://facebook.com/events/s/australias-refugee-shame-world/641352941270419/  

Take Action: 

Tell them no one should have to live in limbo for 10 years.  All refugees in Australia need a pathway to safe and permanent resettlement – they need a safe and secure future. People seeking asylum need a fair and timely assessment process – not 10 years in limbo. People still held in PNG need the option of being brought here.

You may find the ARAN letter kit helpful – find it here You can also send a postcard (download below)

Find your local federal MP here See contact details for Labor and other selected senators here See tips for writing to MPs here

Resources to support your local 10 Years Too Long action

You might also like to support the ongoing Refugees Off PNG campaign    – see details here

Return to the top of the page.

Regular vigils and actions

Regular events you can attend in your part of the world: New South Wales South Australia Tasmania Victoria WA Qld and Territories. Please note: some regular street actions may have been suspended during the Covid-19 restriction period. Return to the top of the page.  

Past actions and events

ARAN’s archive of past actions, protests and rallies across Australia Includes: 7 Years Too Long, July  2020. ARAN’s archive of past events and meetings across Australia Return to the top of the page.     • Palm Sunday 2023 National Day of Action Find out more here   • Palm Sunday 2022 National Day of Action Find out more here • June 2021 World Refugees Day actions and events Find out more on on the ARAN World Refugee Week page. • NT: Darwin: Mass letter write-in Tuesday 1 June 2021 6.30pm Lucky Bat Cafe Nightcliff Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network (DASSAN) • NSW: Sydney  Grandmothers vigil Tuesday 1 June 12.30-1.30pm Sydney QVB vigil at the Queen Victoria statue Bring your homemade placards if possible; banners will also be available. • Vic: Geelong – Melbourne Sunday 30 May 2.00pm Combined Refugee Action Group (CRAG) community protest Park Hotel Melbourne Bring banners of support for the people locked in detention. • Auswide: Government to rush through protection interviews Take Action Now! Call Minister Andrews on (02) 6277 7860 and demand that she cancels this unfair and harmful decision and gives people reasonable and sufficient time to prepare their cases with legal support. For background see: Asylum seekers face ‘interview of their lives’ as caseload blitz launched (The Age) 11 May 2021 Return to the top of the page. • #Time For A Home #Free the Refugees A campaign for the release of refugees from detention and for their safe resettlement. Here is a list of actions you can be part of that are coming up soon: • Home to Bilo Actions Detained on Christmas Island, the Biloela Family needs your help: Find out what more you can do. Other Actions and Rallies • NT: Darwin – Release the Darwin 7 Saturday rallies    End their indefinite detention! Nightcliff markets Plus the weekly Home Affairs Protest Every Wednesday lunchtime Home Affairs Protests at 12.30pm 21 Lindsay St Darwin Find out more on the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network DASSAN Facebook page. • Qld: Brisbane – Solidarity protest, free all the Medevac refugees Friday 30 April 4.30pm Permanency not poverty for those released Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (Grey Street Entrance (opposite ABC studio) Find out more on Facebook Events Refugees Action Collective (RAC) Qld   Return to the top of the page.    

Meetings, Community Awareness & Education Events

•  Auswide: ARAN member groups national discussion about the July 19 actions 8 Years Too Long actions to draw attention to situation for those refugees still on Nauru and in PNG after 8 long years. Tuesday 25 May at 7.30pm On zoom: message ARAN for access details • NSW: Sydney – Grandmothers NSW Face to Face meeting Thursday 17 June 10.00am Pilgrim House 264 Pitt St. Sydney. Due to Covid restrictions, numbers will be limited. Details to come. • Launch of The Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law Tuesday 25 May 6.00 – 7.00pm Register on EventBrite • Auswide: Grandmothers online event Wednesday 19 May 1.00pm, Refugee advocate Graham Thom has been working for freedom for refugees and advocating for their settlement here and in New Zealand. He is particularly worried about the increasingly dire situation of the Rohingya people and will share with us these concerns. Registration is essential for this meeting:   Post your own ARAN has an arrangement with Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) to encourage members to post upcoming actions, events, vigils, rallies and campaigns on the RAR Events Calendar. Community awareness and community education events are listed on the RAR calendar which can be searched on date, location (state) and key words. To submit your calendar event via the ARAN website, add the details to the form below and click the ‘send’ button. Publishing events on the calendar are at the sole discretion of RAR.

Submit details of your upcoming actions, rallies, vigils and events

Send info about your upcoming events to austrefugeenetwork@gmail.com   Return to the top of the page.  
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