Christians are standing in solidarity with Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders today, as part of a National Day of Action, with over 85 rallies organised across Australia and overseas.
The National Day of Action was called for by the Aboriginal women of the Kimberley, leaders of the #SOSBlakAustralia campaign, in response to statements made by WA Premier Colin Barnett and Prime Minister Tony Abbott which threatened the forced closure of 150 Aboriginal homeland communities.
Common Grace, a Christian group that describes itself as being “passionate about Jesus and justice,” promoted the National Day of Action, explaining that it was an opportunity for Christians to stand with their Aboriginal brothers and sisters.
The group encouraged Christians to take part “based on the principle of showing love to your neighbour” and “out of respect for God’s original custodians of the land.”
“As followers of Jesus, we know the wonder of being reconciled to God, that Jesus died on the cross for. But we also know that reconciliation doesn’t come cheap,” said Brooke Prentis, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander campaigner for Common Grace.
“Repentance always requires change. A policy of forced closure of Aboriginal homeland communities simply repeats the past,” says Ms Prentis.
Common Grace’s National Director, Jarrod McKenna, organised and is on the ground at the Day’s Hong Kong rally.
Mr McKenna described the proposed closure of Aboriginal homeland communities as “an attack on reconciliation, that renders the saying of ‘sorry’ utterly meaningless.”