{"id":16279,"date":"2014-03-26T17:39:38","date_gmt":"2014-03-26T06:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=16279"},"modified":"2019-04-13T23:58:11","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T13:58:11","slug":"march-touched-nation-sally_owl-inside-story-marchinmarch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/march-touched-nation-sally_owl-inside-story-marchinmarch\/","title":{"rendered":"March of the open-hearted: @Sally_Owl tells the inside story of #MarchInMarch"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I started writing this on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, on a flight home after attending March in March (MiM) Melbourne last Sunday, and MiM Canberra on Monday, March 17. I am still giving thanks, six days later, for the miracle that ensured MiM 2014 was a great success, that the vision I had for the marches became, in the main, a reality. Over 100,000 Australians marched in a collective, peaceful protest, with only one arrest reported. Magical.<\/p>\n

If people wanted this to happen, they would need to become involved: make the leap from ‘slacktivism’ as keyboard warriors to activism.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the night of Monday, March 17, I was confident a ‘Statement of No Confidence’ in the Abbott Government from the people of Australia would be read and debated in the Senate, having been presented to The Honourable Adam Bandt, MHR for Melbourne, the express purpose being a Senator asking leave of the President of the Senate for the document to be read in that house.<\/p>\n

\"Loz<\/a>

Loz Lowrey shows Adam Bandt the Peoples’ Vote of No Confidence in the Abbott Government (Photo: Wayne Jannson).<\/p><\/div>\n

Sadly, leave was not granted on a technicality.<\/p>\n

The document was not read and recorded into Hansard, although I have received assurances via Adam Bandt\u2019s office that the document will be tabled once the archaic processes of the Senate have been satisfied, and the displeasure and lack of confidence of over 100,000 people in the government will be forever recorded as part of Australia\u2019s political history.<\/p>\n

I very much look forward to this moment.<\/p>\n

The reason I feel so deeply about this is that I believe the very heart and soul of Australian society and culture is being ripped to shreds by a divisive, punitive government that has very little regard for anyone other than those of the ‘elite ruling class’, the ‘one percenters’ as they are commonly described.<\/p>\n

This trend was started very successfully by one of Australian politics\u2019 most effective social ‘engineers’, former Prime Minister John Howard.<\/p>\n

He was able to subtly change the definitions of words and twist the truth, to feed peoples’ fears and create a big division within the people of Australia.<\/p>\n

The Rudd and Gillard Governments did very little to heal the division, and Tony Abbott was able to cleave the divide wide apart with his dismissive treatment of the vulnerable, and his complete disregard for the future of the planet and those who will inherit it.<\/p>\n

To me, the premise for this divide comes down to those who are open-hearted, caring and compassionate, and those who are not. Those who have regard for the good of the whole, and those who are motivated by self interest and greed. The MiM movement, over two successive weekends, in locations across the country, showed that around 100,000 people are prepared to show their open hearts, their caring natures and their compassion, and that the heart of Australia still beats.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of 2013 a Twitter account appeared – @MarchinMarch_2014 – and began garnering support for the idea of a protest march in Canberra in March, surrounding Parliament House. Some politically aware individuals on the progressive side of politics responded, and #MarchinMarch was used in tweets challenging or criticising the actions and decisions of the Federal Government.<\/p>\n

Things started to heat up in early January, with the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, The Honorable Scott Morrison MHR, copping plenty of flack on the treatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention centres.<\/p>\n

Asylum seeker support groups were reporting that females in detention were required to queue and almost beg for sanitary products. The feminist activist group, Destroy the Joint, was calling for the women of Australia to take direct action by sending sanitary products to Minister Morrison\u2019s office with words of protest.<\/p>\n

Tweets with photos of individual efforts were flying around in the Twittersphere on the evening of Monday, January 5. I was one of those involved in the action, and included the #MarchinMarch hashtag. There was no activity from the @MarchinMarch Twitter account, which was surprising given the level of disdain at the treatment of the women in detention. The owner of the account, @mffyrg, indicated he wasn\u2019t able to proceed with organising the event due to unforeseen personal circumstances.<\/p>\n

A few people offered to do what they could \u2013 contacting GetUp was the first option identified. Those people were Craig Batty (@ABCJoePineapples), Tim Jones (@forthleft) and me (@Sally_Owl). It became clear on Tuesday morning that if the march was to go ahead it was necessary to start organising things immediately. Jan Mahyuddin (@j4gypsy) came on board to assist with this.<\/p>\n

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Calling all Torchbearers of Humanity.. Will you #MarchinMarch<\/a>? #decency<\/a> @MarchInMarch_14<\/a> #auspol<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SyEfVTWKpL<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sally Farrell (@Sally_Owl) January 8, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n