BAXTER — After months of planning, on April 18-20 up to 800 people from across Australia converged on the Baxter detention centre outside Port Augusta, to protest against the mandatory detention of asylum seekers, and show solidarity with the refugees imprisoned inside.

The protesters were a diverse group, and included members of refugee action collectives from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, as well as the Greens, No-one is Illegal, the Socialist Alliance, ChilOut and many others. There was a representative from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra, and elders from the Bungala, Kokatha, and Adnyamathanya nations attended and expressed their support.

The weekend of action began with a picnic in Port Augusta, attened by many local residents, where arriving protesters were welcomed onto Bungala land by Linda Dare.

Once out of Port Augusta, the protesters resolved to set up camp as close to Baxter as possible, walking unhindered through established police lines and arriving within sight of the detention centre. Up to two hundred police looked on while tents were pitched in a positive, peaceful atmosphere.

However, trying to intimidate, hurt, frighten and provoke the protesters, police in riot gear and on horseback suddenly moved in. Tents were confiscated, batons were used and people were arrested for such crimes as “swearing at police”. The horses were used to break up the camp, as mounted police charged the tent site while people were still inside their tents, injuring some protesters.

A new camp was established four kilometres from the centre, however, and a sense of festivity and solidarity spread among all those present. Throughout the camp on that night, people were discussing politics, chanting in different languages and making plans for further actions throughout the weekend.

The Saturday morning saw a vibrant and successful march to the gates of the detention centre. The dehumanising, prison-like nature of Baxter did not stifle mood of the protest, which was peaceful, defiant, and colourful.

The small incidents of violence were perpetrated by the police (present in enormous numbers), who employed “snatch and grab” tactics — groups of police running into the crowd and dragging protesters back into their vans. Despite this, the protest was a success. After three hours of plenty of noise, the rally marched back through the dust to camp.

A dusk march made it to the centre’s perimeter fence, where protesters’ chants could be heard by the detainees, who responded with chants of their own. Later, protesters learned that during this action, detainees had been beaten for chanting and detained in their rooms, with guards standing outside.

The day concluded with a Rock On Against Racism that included local and Melbourne bands. The event was particularly successful in bringing protesters together with many local Indigenous people, in a festival-like atmosphere much appreciated by the tired protesters.

Many of the bands used the opportunity to make statements — musical and otherwise — in opposition to war and support of Indigenous, as well as refugee, rights.

Noelene Ryan-Lester, a local broadcaster with Umeewarra Media, spoke. She pointed out that the desert prison isn’t the first detention at Baxter: Aboriginal reservations were like detention centres, she pointed out. Offering solidarity to eight asylum seekers currently in Port Augusta prison, she noted: “Many of our people are also in prison and the numbers are rising. We are refugees in our own land and we too need your help.”

Some protesters also participated in a late-night walk to the detention centre.

On Sunday morning, protesters marched to the centre’s front gate, where they released balloons, symbolising freedom.

At least 25 arrests were made throughout the protest, however most were for extremely minor offences — trespass and swearing. One person was arrested for flying a kite. At the front gate, Melbourne protester Giselle Grant summed up the protesters’ frustration: “We are not here for violence. We are here for peace, freedom and solidarity with asylum seekers. We hope that the media portrays this.”

Meanwhile, however, a dozen police offices, half armed with machine guns, had arrived at the campsite claiming there was a gun there. Protesters quickly established that the cops were talking about a camera tripod. The cops left with no apology.

Protesters left Baxter knowing their protest had been successful in highlighting opposition to mandatory detention, and in offering solidarity to the asylum seekers. A statement read out on Sunday morning to the protesters from the Baxter detainees said: “Thank you for your sympathy and compassion. We kiss you from inside the detention centre and hope that one day we can repay your help.”

From Green Left Weekly, April 23, 2003.
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