Indigenous Find New Place to Camp But Still Boycott Paniyiri Festival

The site of the initial tent embassy of the Aborigines is now surrounded by carnival rides put in place for the Greek Paniyiri festival that is about to take place this coming weekend.

The indigenous decided to camp at the new site in Musgrave Park, as their struggle is not over yet. Australian media report that today things are quieter at the new camp site, with a dozen protesters gathered around the Aborigines’s sacred fire.

A spokesman for the group says morale remains high and they have been contacted by several law firms offering assistance. Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says negotiations should have started sooner.

“Everybody has their right to their opinions but these are matters that the elders need to raise at length with the council,” she said. “Let’s not forget that the park is a public place for all to enjoy.”

Queensland historian Dr. Ray Kerkhove says Aboriginal people should be allowed to camp in Musgrave Park as the indigenous tent embassy was legitimate. Dr. Kerkhove says the park was part of a traditional camping ground that predates white settlement.

He explains that an Aborigines camp existed in Brisbane park long before the colony. “It was obviously there before settlement and this is the point I wanted to make – is that when people are saying ‘oh, they’re squatting there’ and all this, in fact if anyone is squatting it’s us – the white people.” “A lot of these places where Aborigines have chosen to camp are camps that were there before the town,” added the historian.

Meanwhile, punters are threatening to boycott the Paniyiri Greek festival this weekend. Paniyiri chairman Chris Kazonis justified the letter sent to Brisbane City Council by saying their primary concern was safety but there has still been a backlash on social media against the festival.

Some people have taken to the festival’s Facebook page to say they would boycott Paniyiri because they did not believe the tent embassy should have been forced to make way for the annual event.

A “special” announcement will be made at some point today by the Paniyiri Facebook administrators. Tent embassy protesters said they have a good relationship with the organizers of the festival. The indigenous have problems with the Australian authorities, not the Greek Community.