Music for East Timor

By Sally-Anne Watson

DARWIN -- A concert by local musicians was held with a permit in Raintree Park on November 24. Onlookers displayed placards and banners reading “Human Rights for East Timor” and “Referendum for East Timor”.

The event was disrupted by a City Council officer, who attempted to revoke the permit on the grounds that the music had political content, which was not allowed in the park.

Support from the crowd prevented the officer from unplugging the musical equipment, and meanwhile the crowd heard from Jose Gusmao on the struggle of the East Timorese people.

Eventually the power source was turned off, sparking a spontaneous march through the Darwin mall to the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, with chants of “Sack Gareth Evans”. The DIEA office had been occupied for nine hours one week earlier by 30 activists demanding a response from Evans on the situation in East Timor.

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