Young Citizen stands in solidarity

WHILE the Citizen of the Year awards ceremony was happening inside Civic Hall on Friday, outside in the forecourt, about twenty-five members of the First Australian community and their supporters were holding a protest.

The meaning of the picket wasn’t lost on Young Citizen of the Year winner Aleasha Kelly.

Ms Kelly arrived in time to receive her award but chose not to cross the protest and remain outside, leaving many to think she was absent from the event.

“On the way up to the door I saw a group of Indigenous people protesting to change the date, and have money not put towards fireworks but help the bushfire victims instead,” she said.

“I was nominated because of the work I do with my community and the people I work with. Who am I if I don’t stand with Indigenous people? That’s where I should be, that’s what a citizen of the year does. So I stood with the Aboriginal community.

“As a community and human service worker it is really important to be engaged and aware of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Through my learning and my degree, I’ve always learned about Indigenous history through a white perspective. To engage with people who are from that community and have them tell me their story of what happened, that’s where we should be heading.”

While the protesters remained outside Civic Hall during the awards ceremony, when the national anthem played at the conclusion of the event they entered the building and chanted over the song.

Afterwards everyone mingled and Ms Kelly was presented with her award and certificate by mayor Cr Ben Taylor. She also gave a short speech using the protesters’ megaphone.

Cr Taylor acknowledged that Australia Day was problematic for some people in the community and Ms Kelly’s position.

“I respect her choice and what she does,” Cr Taylor said. “We do these awards on a different day to Australia Day itself.

“We have something coming through from the Koorie Engagement Action Group around working through this. The CEO has made a lot of commitments even above the Victorian Reconciliation Plan.”

Gunditjmara woman Sissy Austin was on the protest line and said Ms Kelly’s gesture was “amazing.”

“It has so much meaning that Aleasha decided to stand in solidarity with us,” Ms Austin said. “She took the time to ask what we were there for and we explained it to her.

“We really respect her decision. It takes courage.

Ms Austin said the purpose of the protest wasn’t to diminish the achievements of any of the people up for awards, rather to add Indigenous voices to the event.

“We had nothing against the nominees, which we made pretty clear as each one came in,” she said. “We’re community people too.”