Wednesday morning vigil for asylum seekers in Australian gulags

Two years on from the murder of an asylum seeker under Australian care on Manus Island, protests against the camps reach New Zealand.

On Wednesday refugee advocacy group Doing Our Bit will host a vigil outside the Australian High Commission in Thorndon, Wellington.

Running from 8am until 10am, Doing Our Bit’s spokesperson Murdoch Stephens will be joined by Marama Davidson from the Green Party, singer-songwriter Ruth Mundy and activists from a range of Wellington communities.

“There are three things we want to express tomorrow,” said Stephens.

“First, we want to mark the murder of Reza Barati two years ago when he was under Australian care.

“Second, we want to show our support for all the strong and committed activists in Australia standing up against the ‘deplorable Pacific Alcatrazes’, as Toby Manhire recently put it. These detention centres are inhumane and must be closed down.

“Finally, we want the New Zealand government to take a strong, and public, stand against these gulags.”

Doing Our Bit also held a vigil on the first anniversary of Barati’s murder. Two Manus Island residents are currently on trial for his murder. The High Court of Australia recently ruled that the camps were legal, shutting down one avenue to close the camps to which activists had pinned their hopes

ENDS

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