Thousands in Australia rally for struggling indigenous recognition referendum
- About 20,000 people in Brisbane attended a rally in support of the ‘Voice to Parliament’ proposal, with similar events also held across other Australian cities
- The proposal, which aims to enshrine indigenous people in Australia’s constitution, appears on track for defeat, according to a recent poll
Thousands rallied in Australia on Sunday to support recognising the country’s indigenous people in the constitution, a proposal that is struggling ahead of a referendum next month.
If approved on October 14, the measure would enshrine indigenous people in the constitution and set up an advisory body to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people input on policies that affect them.
Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8 per cent of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates.
But the “Voice to Parliament” proposal appeared on track for defeat, a poll showed last week, the fifth monthly survey in a row to find voters against the change.
Yes23, the group behind “Walk for Yes” events, said around 20,000 people attended in Brisbane, Australia’s third-biggest city.
In Melbourne, more than 10,000 supporters marched through the streets, some with banners reading: “You’re the voice, vote yes”. Thousands more gathered in Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart and Alice Springs.
Many attendees wore T-shirts and held placards emblazoned “Vote Yes!”, Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) footage showed.
“I think we need a voice in parliament and I think it’s about time,” said Laurel Johnson, a 58-year-old retired indigenous community services worker who joined hundreds of people at the Sydney rally, many seeking shade during a spring heatwave.