The ‘race riot’ in Sydney on Sunday November 11 and the continuing aftermath is something I am sure many people have an awareness of. I was horrified though perhaps I should not have been given the promotion of race baiting that has essentially been government ‘policy’ since the ‘boarding’ of the Tampa by the Australian navy in September 2001 and the negative portrayal and stereotyping of refugees that intensified and continues to this day.
As I hear more detail from friends and relatives who are witnessing first hand, or have friends suffering at the hand of the apparently ‘non‐race based’ attacks, I become even more horrified. The latest was news of a family friend with Palestinian roots having all the windows in their house smashed and their car destroyed. Whilst our ‘prime minister’ has his head in the sand (as a cartoon in a mainstream newspaper depicted) with his claims that Australia is not racist, the spread of such vilification across the country in itself clearly illustrates how fucked up things are here.
Perhaps he is not willing to admit to racism – and I am glad to see many countries around the world are openly willing to state the obvious – as the actions of his government have led to race‐based prejudice being so entrenched and widespread. It had to happen one day I guess. Ever since the Tampa, I have hoped for things to get better. Last Sunday was nothing really new, it just came to the surface. Yet there are many positives amongst all the negatives.
I have been very impressed by how the first to act in response to the initial incidents were community groups. Change is coming from the grass roots, not being imposed from ‘leaders’. People/organisations once labelled as outcasts and social misfits are playing crucial and vital roles. I am not, and have not been for a long time, proud to be Australian – whatever that means, yet I do find myself happy with the responses of everyday people. Hearing people who are not explicitly racist (yet socialised racist by the last several years of scapegoating, on top of the racist basis of this country) expressing critical comments and an awareness of the deeper issues that need be addressed provide a strong contrast to the head in the sand approach of the John Howard and the rest of the cronies (parasites) in parliament.
That said, the mainstream press – which I do not expect anything really from – surprised me with the responses I have seen over the last 6 days. Whilst not as good as it should be, the condemnation of what was happening and the admittance of things being racially based was not what I expected. This is not to say that many things printed weren’t shite… I feel a rant coming on!
Fuck calls for tolerance! Tolerance covers over hatred and fear. We need to accept difference. All these dumb ass fuckers wanting whitey world when they can’t even realise the differences amongst themselves and the problems they have with them. Someone of colour is easy to label. You come across some dick‐brain whose white, you don’t hate all whiteys, yet you come across some dick‐brain that look different to you, you associate that with everyone who looks similar to them. Open you fucking eyes!
And fuck off to the white guy who made all the mainstream television coverage proclaiming that this was his land – wake up colonialist hypocrite. How fucking stupid are some of these dickheads?
And whilst this is widespread, there are some positives emerging in the aftermath. Lets just hope that people broadly take action in response to this and realise the underlying bullshit that has been fed to them. The potential is there – people are seeing it. People are standing up and saying it openly. Lets confront this shit head on it our communities, with our neighbours. Change has to come from us. Recognise the racist fuckin shit for what it is and how it came about. Wake up to the hypocrisy of patriotism – how much of what happened was done by people draped in our already blood‐stained colonialist flag.
As a recent article on Sydney IndyMedia ended ‘Love and respect to all the good people in Sydney and beyond.’