Culture

Activists Shut Down Parliament Today With A Protest About Refugees

"Every day on Manus and Christmas Island is another day in hell."

by Osman Faruqi  30 November 2016

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A group of about 30 refugee activists interrupted question time in Parliament today, bringing the House of Representatives to a standstill and forcing the Speaker to suspend proceedings.

Government backbencher Melissa Price was midway through asking a question to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the government’s political achievements when activists began chanting from the public gallery.

The protesters made clear they were campaigning for a more humane refugee policy, shouting “We are here today because your policies are breaking our hearts, because every day on Manus and Christmas Island is another day in hell.”

The Speaker of the House, Tony Smith, responded by suspending the business of the House of Representatives, which brought an end to question time. Most of the Coalition members of the House walked out soon after, but Labor and crossbench MPs remained.

A number of protesters claimed to have super-glued their hands to the railings and requested paramedics before they were removed.

Politicians have had mixed responses to the protest, with Labor MP Tim Watts slamming it as “a poor form of democratic protest”.

While Greens MP Adam Bandt tweeted that he was “Proud”.

Junkee understands that the protests were coordinated by the Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance (WACA).  The same group was responsible for a protest in August, targeting the Prime Minister at an economic summit.

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Feature image via Joel Dry/Twitter