The Australian Protest fears cloud black festival By MARTIN CHULOV and MEGAN SAUNDERS 10aug00 A PLAN by an Aboriginal land council to stage a cultural festival during the Olympics near one of the most sacred Aboriginal sites has been abandoned amid concerns over protests. The planned Budyari cultural festival is in jeopardy and its organisers, the Metropolitan Land Council, known as Metro, have been forced to seach for another venue. A meeting on Tuesday night failed to resolve an impasse between Metro's Olympic protest organiser, Lyall Munro, and the La Perouse Aboriginal Land Council, that developed over fears the planned festival might become a platform for damaging demonstrations. The festival was to be held in Yarra Bay oval, near the La Perouse site at the head of Botany Bay. Under Aboriginal protocols, organisers had to obtain the consent of the local indigenous community before making an application to the city council to use the site. Metro chairwoman Jenny Munro said organisers had almost run out of time and would consider further applications around the city area. Ms Munro will approach South Sydney Council about staging the festival closer to Sydney's CBD, possibly at Redfern Park, the site former prime minister Paul Keating chose to make his landmark speech accepting guilt on behalf of white Australia for past injustices to Aborigines. Metro failed to secure two sites near the Homebush Bay Olympic precinct. "It just puts us too far behind," Ms Munro said. "Some of them have listened to the rubbish in the media and are frightened about protests." But while the festival was under threat, Ms Munro said further plans to protest around the city would not be abandoned. Ms Munro wrote to NSW police this week advising of Metro's intent to march on Sydney airport in the five days before the Games begin and on the Prime Minister's office on the day of the opening ceremony. The letter, which was confirmation of an earlier application, is one of three formal requests to stage mass protests being considered by NSW Police Commissioner Peter Ryan and commanders responsible for the CBD and eastern suburbs. Meanwhile, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, which has set up a protest site in Victoria Park, is facing problems with South Sydney Council. The council is concerned that the site will be turned into a tent city. Tent embassy spokeswoman Isabelle Coe said organisers would not attempt to stop those Aborigines who wanted to set up camp at the site. No resolution has been reached. -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
