The Voice Referendum - Polling Day in Darwin, Larrakia Country

The Voice Referendum Campaign Publicity in Sydney

Past documentation of ‘The Voice’ Referendum campaign publicity on the streets across inner Sydney, Redfern and Western Sydney, taken prior to the ballot date.

There was far more ‘Yes’ campaign material visible than ‘No’ material, particularly in inner Sydney, which was perhaps a reflection of both strategy and budget levels. In western and south-western Sydney, there was barely any street publicity for leading up to the Referendum.

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Pro-Palestine Rally Marches to Sydney Opera House

Several hundred pro-Palestinian supporters marched on Gadigal country, from Sydney Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House on Monday evening.

The snap rally was organised as renewed conflict broke out near the Gaza Strip last weekend, when over 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in what the militant group, Hamas, has termed, ‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’. Some have termed the killings as a massacre.

The action has come after years of increasingly repressive measures taken against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories by the Israeli government, which has swung even further to the far-right in recent times under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Violence and murders by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank have been on the rise, with a rate of around three attacks on Palestinians every day since the start of 2023.

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is, of today, preparing for a full-scale ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, where shelling and airstrikes have seen the death toll already rising past 1,000 people. Water, power and food supplies have been cut off in a seige of Gaza that could last months. The world is bracing for many more Palestinian deaths over coming days and weeks. The United Nations envoy to Palestine has called the Israeli campaign as “nothing less than genocidal”.

This has all occurred in the midst of significant geo-political posturing, which has heightened tensions across the region.

Monday’s march on the Sydney Opera House was sparked by a decision of the NSW State Government to project the colours of the Israeli flag on the sails of the Opera House, a decision that some saw as one-sided and provocative. Organisers of the rally declared that they were disappointed by the actions of a small group of demonstrators who burned the Israeli flag and let off flares, saying they did not represent the large bulk of Palestinian supporters in attendance.

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The Voice Referendum: Yarning Circle - Yes or No What is Next?

A full house filled The Red Rattler in Marrickville on Sunday to hear and discuss some alternative views on the upcoming ‘Voice’ referendum from an all-Blak panel that included Lidia Thorpe, Lynda-June Coe, Amanda Morgan, Ethan Lyon and Erin O’Leary. A Welcome to Country was performed by Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor. M.C. for the day was Elizabeth Jarrett.

While the panelists advocated a variety of positions on the referendum - No, Yes, Abstain and Informal - there was a general consensus that the process, institutions and organisations behind the official Yes and No campaigns are deeply problematic and were not to be trusted. The panel agreed that whatever the outcome of the referendum, the struggle for First Nations rights would need to continue into the future if real change and justice is to be realised.

A central discussion point of the day was the profound psychological, emotional and physical harm currently being endured by First Nations people as a result of the referendum process.

The referendum goes to a vote on October 14th, 2023.

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The Voice Referendum: No Rally Against 'The Voice'

Today, several hundred people turned up to Hyde Park for an unofficial ‘No’ rally against the upcoming ‘Voice’ referendum, due to be held on the 14th of October 2023. The rally was one of a series of so-called ‘Freedom’ rallies around the country, organised by local Putin-sympathiser, Simeon Boikov, who is currently holed up in the Russian Embassy.

Besides No campaigners, the crowd was also filled with a range of conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxers, nationalists and amalgam of people pushing right-wing causes. Neo-Nazis reportedly marched at the corresponding march in Melbourne. The official No campaign had not endorsed the event and had warned people from attending.

Speakers included Liberal Democrat, John Ruddick MLC, former MP Ross Cameron, One Nation's Tania Mihailuk MLC and former United Australia Party MP Craig Kelly. Budjiti/Murrawari men Bruce Shillingsworth Senior and his son, Bruce Shillingsworth Junior also spoke, alongside a handful of other Aboriginal people who travelled to Sydney for the event.

At the end of the rally, a small break away group confronted the organisers, claiming the event had been hijacked by politicians, and that they had not been allowed to speak.

The numbers at today’s No rally paled in comparison to the tens of thousands that turned up to the Yes campaign rally last week. Nevertheless, polls show the No campaign ahead and are predicting the referendum will fail.

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Gulgi-Barra at the Murama Dance Ground

Photographs of yesterday’s performances as part of the Murama Indigenous Youth Summit at the Murama Dance Ground, near Silverwater, Sydney, on Wangal country.

The event was headlined with a performance of ‘Gulgi-Barra’ (‘Sand People’) by the Gimuy-based (Cairns) group, Miriki Performing Arts, along with the Dabul Dancers (Yarrabah), the NRL Cowboy House Ensemble and the Kingdom Voices.

Also performing were Jarara, the St. Canice School choir and Uyghur musician, Shohrat Tursan, who was accompanied by Gurridyula Gaba Wunggu on yiddaki (didgeridoo). Gurridyula also spoke of his two-year long fight against the Adani Carmichael coal mine, which sits on his traditional lands in Central Queensland.

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The Voice Referendum: Walk For 'Yes' Rally

Tens of thousands of people walked from Redfern Park to Victoria Park in support of the YES campaign for the upcoming Referendum on the Voice to Parliament.

Speakers were mostly represented by a range of federal, state and local politicians, from the ALP, Liberals, Greens and Teals, including Chris Minns (ALP), Tanya Plibersek (ALP), Sarah Hanson-Young (Greens), Barry O’Farrell (disgraced ex-Liberal state Premier for NSW) and Clover Moore (Independent, City of Sydney), amongst others.

Wiradjuri woman and City of Sydney Councillor, Yvonne Weldon also spoke, along with Shane Phillips, CEO of Tribal Warrior and disability rights campaigner, Aunty Shirley Lomas. The event was MC’d by Arrente and Kalkadoon filmmaker, Rachel Perkins.

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First Anniversary of the Killing of Jina Mahsa Amini

Yesterday marked one year since the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini at the hands of the Iranian ‘morality’ police, for not wearing a hijab in accordance to strict government standards. Her death sparked nation wide protests across Iran, which eventually evolved into the ‘Women Life Freedom’ movement. Since then, thousands have been arrested and scores killed.

Around two thousand people gathered in Sydney at Hyde Park north on Gadigal country to mark the anniversary. Speakers demanded the overthrow of the Islamic government in Iran and for further Australian sanctions against the regime, before the crowd marched to Martin Place.

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Stop Coal Seam Gas Rally

Photographs from yesterday’s ‘Sydney Stop Coal Seam Gas’ rally on Gadigal country, where hundreds of people marched through Sydney’s CBD from Circular Quay to NSW Parliament House to demand the halt to gas mining in the Pilliga Forest and surrounding Gomeroi lands in north western NSW.

The march stopped off at Santos headquarters to deliver a letter of protest to the company that is currently building the gas fields near Narrabri. Gomeroi people, farmers, unionists and environmentalists travelled across NSW to attend.

The rally was held on a day where hazard reduction burning in preparation for what is expected to be another scorching summer saw smoke choke Sydney and register the fourth worst air quality of any city in the world.

The protest was organised by the Lock the Gate Alliance, Unions NSW, Farmers NSW. The Country Women’s Association and a contingent of Gomeroi people.

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Whose Streets? Our Streets! Rally and Street Party

Photographs from last night’s rally and street party, reclaiming Oxford Street for the LGBTQIA+ community, after sustained attacks from the far-right.

The event was organised by Pride in Protest, National Union of Students Queer/LGBTI and USYD Queer Action Collective.

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Impressions of a Wet Kings Cross Night

Impressions of a wet Kings Cross night on Darlinghurst Road.

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Lucha Fantastica - Mexican Professional Wrestling

Photos from last Saturday night’s professional Mexican wrestling event by Lucha Fantastica at The Factory in Marrickville. The finale featured a bout between ‘Elon Musk’ and ‘Mark Zuckerberg’, who were both defeated by the Mexican hero, Chico.

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Blak Lives Still Matter

Around 200 people gathered at Sydney Town Hall on Gadigal country to bring further attention to Aboriginal deaths in custody and to remind the public that Blak lives still matter.

Amongst the crowd in attendance, was the family of Kamilaroi-Dunghutti man, Ricky ‘Dougie’ Hampson/Chatfield, who died shortly after being discharged from Dubbo Hospital in 2021. Dougie’s family claims that the hospital failed to properly diagnose and treat a duodenal ulcer, due to the fact that he was Aboriginal. A coronial inquest into his death will be conducted in February next year.

Ricky ‘Dougie’ Hampson/Chatfield is one of more than 500 Aboriginal people who have died in custody since the report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was handed down in 1991.

After speeches at Town Hall, the crowd marched through the CBD to the Supreme Court on Phillip Street.

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Defend Trans Rights Rally

Around two hundred people turned up yesterday at Sydney Town Hall, on Gadigal country, to defend Trans rights and to protest against the religious vilification legislation which was recently passed through the NSW Parliament. Opponents of the bill are concerned that religious groups have been favoured over the rights of LGBTQIA+ communities, especially over those of trans people.

After speeches at Sydney Town Hall, the rally marched through the CBD.

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The Last Rays at Central Station

Fan Girls

The Green Hand Band at the Marrickville Bowlo

Photographs of the Green Hand band playing at the Marrickville Bowlo a couple of weeks ago on June 24th.

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Djaadjawan Dancers at Centennial Park