Brisbane City Council to try to forcibly remove Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy supporters urgently needed at Musgrave Park
14 May 2012
Brisbane City Council has turned its back on negotiations with the Brisbane Sovereign Embassy over its right to exist in Musgrave Park, South Brisbane.
This afternoon at around 4pm, Luke Bell from Brisbane City Council told the Embassy by phone that negotiations were off and that Council would be forcibly removing the Embassy in the near future.
At a meeting at the Embassy last Saturday, Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk tried to confuse the issue by saying the Embassy had to move for this Saturday’s Paniyiri Festival despite the fact that he and Council were fully aware that festival organisers had publicly stated in South City News that they had no problem with the Embassy’s presence during the festival.
Mayor Quirk refused to guarantee that violence would not be used against the Embassy.
Video of this can be viewed at
Not only had Paniyiri organisers begun negotiations with the Embassy on how to work together but local firefighters organising an upcoming regional firefighter expo in Musgrave Park had also approached the Embassy to discuss how they could share the Park.
Since being established over 2 months ago, the Brisbane Sovereign Embassy has welcomed thousands of Brisbane residents to film nights, workshops, family fun days and cultural events around the sacred fire that has been established under Aboriginal law and custom.
The Brisbane Sovereign Embassy has been established to assert Aboriginal Sovereignty over the land, sovereignty which has not been legally extinguished under British, Australian, International or Aboriginal law.
We are urging supporters to contact John Jordan from Brisbane City Council on 0421 346 021 to make it clear that the people of Brisbane want the Embassy to stay.
Supporters are urgently needed on the ground at Musgrave Park.
Further enquiries:
Chris on 0478 804 334
Boe on 0431 525 924
love the site Ian. from Brendon Qu
Today the UQ (University of Queensland) Branch of the NTEU (National Tertiary Education Union) passed the following motion unanimously:
That the UQ branch of the NTEU stands in solidarity with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people struggling for their sovereign rights at the Musgrave Park Tent Embassy.
The branch deplores the action by the Brisbane City Council and Queensland Police in forcibly removing the Tent Embassy.
We call on the union movement to engage in a dialogue with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activists at the Embassy and their respective organisations, in order to mobilise unionists in support of their just cause.
Passed unanimously
The State Secretary will raise the issue with the QCU (Queensland Council of Unions) at their next meeting.
In solidarity
Lachlan Hurse
NTEU Organiser
Precedent was done with City of Perth Council in liaison with the WA Police, driven by talkback radio, and underlain by the WA Premier – for WA it is never unexpected the abuse of police muscle as if the militia of government, whatever tier, and hence 100 officers stormed Nyoongar Tent Embassy – and hence the theme now Australia-wide, however let us also not forget how Councils and police worked together to smash the Occupy protests in Martin Place, Sydney and with ugly force in Melbourne and so on.
AAFTER WATCHING THE VIDEO OF THE CITY MAYORS MESSAGE .I CAN ASSURE YOU THEY WILL USE FORCE TO MOVE AND DISAMBLE THE TENT EMBASSY .THIS WILL BE A SAD DAY FOR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS OF PEOPLE IN QUEENSLAND AS IT WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT QUEENSLAND IS A DICTATOR SHIP STATE.AND IF THEY CANT MOVE YOU BY ASKING THEY WILL USE FORCE THAT WILL HAVE NO BOUNDRIES -IN OTHER WORDS -FREE HAND TO THE POLICE TO INCITE THE VIOLENCE AND USE YOUR DEFENCE AGAINST YOU AS THEY SURELY WILL . IS IN THEIR AGENDER NOW -CONTROL BY VIOLENCE AGAINST OFFENDERS .AND IT CAN BE PROVED .TAKE CARE EVERY ONE AND IF YOU CAN SUPPORT THE TENT EMBASSY DOWN IN BRISBANE DO SO -IN THE THOUSANDS -IS THE ONLY WAY TO WIN —