Dear campaign friends. Please bear with me as I explain why I feel that the Eureka flag has a very important symbolic place in our campaign and why I personally carry it on the community picket line. My first banner was carried proudly and solemnly. It bore the words Community Voice Matters. It was the starting point of my on site action. It was the thread that drew me in. The banner has gone now but still this message resounds in my heart. As I became more familiar with the No Maccas in Tecoma (and the Hills) campaign I could not help but be struck with the many similarities that this campaign has with the campaign so bravely fought so long ago on the Ballarat goldfields in 1854. Let me lie some of them out for the benefit of this discussion. The Eureka struggle was about unfair, undemocratic legislation (ie. the unfair mining taxes). Many petitions, community functions and meetings, arts projects, theatre, and acts of civil disobedience were part of the Eureka campaign. Protesters and other innocent members of the goldfields community had been unfairly singled out, persecuted and bullied, arrested and jailed by wealthy interests and Government authorities to suit their unethical ends. Democratic voice was ignored, quashed by lies and attacked by adversaries in the highest corridors of power. Democracy was a cause that was fought for by thousands of people at Eureka and news of their brave fight spread and was acclaimed internationally at the time. Peter Fitzsimons (Eureka the Unfinished Revolution, 2012 pp.xix) suggests that the broad reaching effects of the Eureka Stockade gave inspiration to the writings of social reformers such as Karl Marx, and the seminal court cases connected with the Eureka 13 on trial for high treason were nothing less than a triumph of Australian justice and democracy. What happened at Eureka under the magnificent Southern Cross flag was a revolution that involved people of all nationalities, represented by different flags, and political persuasions. The flag that I hold, first flown at Eureka bears the southern cross, the first star atlas to depict the southern skies. These five stars connected the paths of travellers from other antipodean colonies long before a constitution federated their political bodies on these shores, long before the formation of any union. This flag no more belongs to a union than any other entity. Its entire purpose is to act as a beacon for communities to come together, and shoulder to shoulder fight for liberty under a repressive foe, and for direct democracy. I am truly and deeply inspired by the symbolism of the Eureka flag and stand by the values it evokes...We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties Eureka Oath Dec.3rd, 1854. For this reason I shall continue to proudly carry this flag as a beacon for others to join our struggle.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 07:50:46 +0000
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