RAR Media Release for PALM SUNDAY – 10 April 2019

Promoting justice for refugees through art will be a feature for two rural groups from dramatically different parts of Australia on Palm Sunday.

‘Light the Dark’ in Alice Springs will launch the Safe Harbour Community Art Event and Eurobodalla will feature the art exhibition ‘Hope Floats’ an exhibition of art made by refugees in detention.

Justice for people seeking refuge and asylum will be a key theme for members of Rural Australians for Refugees on Palm Sunday.  Many will travel to join rallies in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.  Events will be held in regional centres including Cairns, Townsville, Alice Springs, Whyalla, Bendigo, Launceston, Yass, Great Lakes, Bowral, Forster, Newcastle, Wollongong, Armidale and Ballina.

RAR National President Marie Sellstrom said that on Palm Sunday rural Australians will be calling on all politicians and aspiring politicians to show justice and humanity to people seeking our protection.

• Perth – 1pm St George’s Cathedral
• Canberra – 1pm Garema place
• Brisbane – 2-4pm. Palm Sunday Rally for Peace and Refugees –
  Speakers Corner, outside Parliament House, Corner of George and Alice Streets, Brisbane. Facebook event here
• Alice Spings – 9am, Safe Harbour Community Art Launch. John Flynn Uniting Church, Safe Harbour art launch. Facebook event here
• Carins – 10am. Asylum Seekers – People Just Like us , Cairns Western Events Lawn Cairns Esplanade Facebook event 
• Townsville – Walk for Justice for Refugees, 4pm, Rockpool, walking to the Gregory St Amphitheatre

South Australia:

• Adelaide: 2pm. Victoria Square, Adelaide Facebook event here
• Whyalla: 2:30pm to 3:30pm, Corner of Hincks and Nicolson Avenue.

Victoria: 

• Melbourne – 2 to 5pm State Library
• Bendigo – 12 Noon Justice for Refugees Vigil. Meeting at 12 noon at St Andrew’s UCA, St Paul’s Cathedral, Sacred Heart Cathedral, St Killian’s, or at the Poppet Head in Rosalind Park, and walking to the Bendigo Library Gardens. Facebook event here
• Warnambool
• 

Tasmania:

• Hobart – 2-4pm. Refugee Rights on Palm Sunday Parliament Lawns, Hobart, Facebook event here and Poster here
• Launceston – 12.30pm-2.30pm. Walk for Refugee Justice
  BYO picnic in Princes Square from 12.30pm. The Walk starts at 2pm sharp, making its way from Princes Square via the Brisbane St Mall to City Park.
  A simple celebration will take place in City Park from approx. 2.30pm.
  Wet weather arrangements: 2pm in Milton Hall, 13 Frederick Street, over the road from Princes Square.

New South Wales:

• Sydney – 2 to 4pm Belmore Park near central (Belmore Park, 191 Hay St, Haymarket, NSW Australia)
  Organisers: Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) Sydney
• 
• Armidale – Gather from 11:00 am in Central Park, walk to the Armidale Mall at 11:30am and return to the park for Guest Speakers.
• Ballina – 11:00 am. Ballina Region for Refugees – Foreshore at Lennox Head near the bus stop and across the road from the shops. The guest speaker is Dr Gabrielle Rose from the Refugee Medical Evacuation Support Group.
• Bowral – Fri 12th. 5.30-6.30pm, Justice for Refugees Vigil, Corbett Plaza, Bowral. Facebook event here
• Forster – 11:00am. Justice for Refugees rally. Forster Main Baths then a walk via footpaths across the bridge to Tuncurry to the park for a 30 minute where a silent vigil will take place. For more information: http://www.greatlakesrar.org/contact-us/
• GREAT LAKES RAR – 11:00 am at the Forster Main Baths then a walk via footpaths across the bridge to Tuncurry to the park for a 30 minute silent vigil.
• Newcastle – 12-2pm. Newcastle Says Yes To Refugees Palm Sunday. Foreshore Park near Tramshed. Facebook event here
• Wollongong – 12.30pm – 2.30pm. Wollongong Palm Sunday rally for refugees! Wollongong Town Hall. Facebook event here
• Yass – YRAR Flyer Palm Sunday SUNDAY 14 APRIL 2019 at 2pm RIVERBANK PARK. Facebook event here