The Clash of Rights.
Earlier this morning, the police issued a statement regarding the confrontation between the Freedom Ride group, and the locals in the western New South Wales town of Walgett.
"At round about midnight, there was a confrontation between the locals and the visiting Freedom Ride group. We understand that some force was used by the locals to intimidate the group, but we will not be pressing charges since no one has been hurt"
This has angered the Activists, who have been protesting outside the local RSL club, which does not permit Aborigines to enter. They claimed that the police were biased against the group because of their affiliation with the local indigenous community. We asked Jerry Skoolsuks, one of the members of this activist group about his views on this.
"This is an outrage. Those bogans tried to kill us by ramming our bus off the road.
English: Moree Railway Station, Moree New South Wa...
English: Moree Court House, Frome St.
English: Main street, Moree, NSWIf it were not for the local aboriginals, someone could have been hurt. I'm sick and tired of this rampant racism, and bias."
The group was formed by Charles Perkins and Jim Spigelman in February 1965, after he grew frustrated with the way the indigenous community were being treated in Australia. They set off with thirty students, including two aboriginal students, on a bus to protest against the rampant racial discrimination that is happening in our country.
When asked about what his ultimate aim was when creating the Freedom Ride, Perkins replied with:
"Well I guess our ultimate aim is to... well achieve a world where equality reigns instead of this racial divide. Whites have been destroying the local indigenous population and culture for years, without looking back, and is continuing to do so with excluding the aboriginal people from entering places, such as the local RSL club in...