DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Federal racism inquiry hears traumatic testimonies from Indigenous Australians

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A federal inquiry into racism, hate, and violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people heard deeply traumatic testimonies across Australia.
  • Survivors shared harrowing experiences, including an alleged bomb attack at a rally and a fatal hit-and-run where victims were dehumanized.
  • The inquiry's chair noted a rise in overt racism, particularly after the 2023 Voice referendum, and emphasized the need for public record and action.

Australia's federal inquiry into racism, hate, and violence targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people heard deeply disturbing accounts this week, revealing the pervasive and often brutal nature of discrimination faced by Indigenous communities.

We should be dead because it landed right in front of us.

— Renae Isaacs-GuthridgeDescribing the alleged bomb attack at an Invasion Day rally.

Survivors recounted harrowing experiences, including an alleged terror attack at an Invasion Day rally in Perth where a bomb was reportedly tossed near families. Renae Isaacs-Guthridge, a Noongar Yamatji woman, described the device landing at her family's feet, narrowly avoiding detonation. She expressed profound hurt over the muted political response, suggesting a pattern of silence that implies Indigenous lives are not taken as seriously.

There was obviously a distinct pattern of people who said absolutely nothing. I believe because we were an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crowd, there is an underlying hate against us and so we're not taken as seriously. It's just not as important.

— Renae Isaacs-GuthridgeExpressing disappointment over the lack of public condemnation for the alleged attack.

Another testimony detailed the callousness of a driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run. The accused allegedly texted friends referring to the victims as "dogs" and a "two for one combo," finding humor in their deaths. These accounts underscore the dehumanization and profound lack of empathy that First Nations people endure.

racism is alive and well.

— Jana StewartChair of the inquiry, commenting on the evidence heard so far.

Committee chair and Labor senator Jana Stewart acknowledged the distressing nature of the evidence, stating that it confirms "racism is alive and well" in Australia. She noted a concerning rise in overt racism, particularly following the 2023 Voice referendum, which she believes "gave licence for people to target some of that hate and violence towards First Nations people." Stewart stressed the importance of documenting these testimonies for the public record and vowed that the committee's findings would not be ignored.

it had 'given licence for people to target some of that hate and violence towards First Nations people'.

— Jana StewartLinking the rise in racism to the 2023 Voice referendum.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog