Palm Sunday

In light of the Coronavirus crisis, the Palm Sunday rally will not be going ahead. To mark the day, we are building an online expression of solidarity for refugees.

The conditions in the detention centres and in the hotels being used as Alternate Places of Detention, place people in very high-risk environments. Refugees are kept in crowded conditions with no possibility of practicing social distancing to protect themselves from the virus.

Hundreds who were transferred from Manus and Nauru for medical treatment are still being held in closed detention. They now face an increased risk of infection. This is a public health issue as much as a humanitarian issue.

The isolation and lack of freedom that many of us are feeling as a result of having to self-isolate or social distance should be harnessed to express solidarity with refugees who continue to experience indefinite isolation as they are used and abused for political gain by the Australian Government.

How will it work?
On this Sunday 5 April:

1. Add our Facebook frame to your profile picture by logging into Facebook and clicking this link and searching for “Free the refugees”. (This can be done in the lead up to the day to raise online awareness).
2. Take a picture of yourself holding up a sign. We have produced signs you can print out here with one of the following statements. But if you don’t have a printer just put a handwritten message on a piece of paper.
   1. Detention is an infection risk #freetherefugees
   2. Coronavirus crisis got you feeling isolated? Imagine #7yearsisolated #freetherefugees
   3. Medicare and Centrelink for all asylum seekers #freetherefugees #Notemporaryvisas
   4. War creates refugees, no to Trump’s war threats #NoMoreWar
3. Post to your Facebook/Instagram/Twitter account making sure to use the hashtags listed.
4. Tell your friends and family to get involved, we want this to be BIG!
5. Display one of our signs or other pro-refugee signs or banners in a window.

We will not let our Government’s continued cruelty and ineptitude stop us from campaigning for a humane approach to refugees and people seeking asylum.