From Paul Benedek
The protest against Noel Pearson at the Qld Writers Festival was initiated by Socialist Alliance comrade and Murri leader Sam Watson, to show the opposition of grassroots Aboriginal people to Pearson's pro-Intervention stance.
On the opening night, with Pearson the keynote speaker, around 25 people protested, hearing from Sam, a speaker from The Wilderness Society (trying to set the record straight re Pearson's spreading of false information over the Wild Rivers legislation), and a great speech from Nicole Watson (who just won the Unpublished Indigenous Writer award).
The protest was covered in the next day's Courier Mail, which reported:
Sam received support messages from around the country.
The protest against Noel Pearson at the Qld Writers Festival was initiated by Socialist Alliance comrade and Murri leader Sam Watson, to show the opposition of grassroots Aboriginal people to Pearson's pro-Intervention stance.
On the opening night, with Pearson the keynote speaker, around 25 people protested, hearing from Sam, a speaker from The Wilderness Society (trying to set the record straight re Pearson's spreading of false information over the Wild Rivers legislation), and a great speech from Nicole Watson (who just won the Unpublished Indigenous Writer award).
The protest was covered in the next day's Courier Mail, which reported:
"Two prominent but philosophically opposed indigenous leaders made their mark on last night's Brisbane Writers Festival opening. Noel Pearson was due to address festival-goers inside the State Library at South Bank. Meanwhile, more radical West End activist Sam Watson led a throng of protesters who gathered outside to voice their disapproval of what they allege is Pearson's tacit approval*of the Federal Government's intervention in the Northern Territory."On Sunday, we returned to protest again at Pearson's main workshop. Pearson ended up canceling the workshop! This action was probably a little bigger, with 30-40 people coming, and more of a crowd gathering as Sam, Lionel Fogharty, Rev Alex Gator and others spoke out.
*tacit approval: nothing of the sort. Howard championed it.
Sam received support messages from around the country.
