Bells rally wants to let them stay

THE Surf Coast Rural Australians for Refugees (SCRAR) called on local surfers last week to join a protest at Bells Beach and be part of a national human rights campaign.
The surfers paddled out and unfurled a #LETHEMSTAY banner in the swell in support of GetUp’s “Let Them Stay” campaign, which is calling on the federal government not to send the 267 asylum seekers in Australia to Nauru or Manus Island.
SCRAR spokesperson Laura Conner thanked all the surfers, including Chris from the Salvation Army, nine-year-old Indi who paddled out with her father, and “all the local supporters who came out to Bells Beach to add their show of compassion and like many others are asking for a kinder way to treat people seeking asylum”.
She said people seeking asylum were “just like us and deserve to be treated humanely”.
“There is absolutely no reason why their claims cannot be assessed in a timely fashion while living in humane conditions.
“If they are found to be in genuine need, then wealthy nations like Australia have an obligation to do its share to help address the global challenge we are now facing.
“It’s time to add some human kindness in finding a solution.”
According to SCRAR’s Facebook page, there are another country because they experienced, or were at risk of experiencing torture and persecution.
The “Let Them Stay” campaign, co-ordinated by GetUp and the Human Rights Law Centre, has staged rallies attended by thousands of people across Australia.
A petition has gathered more than 82,000 signatures as of early this week.