Indian Students Rally in Australia
June 9th, 2009 | | Jasbir KaurA massive crowd of South Asians marched on Sydney’s Hyde Park on Sunday to protest what many are calling scathing inequalities. Indians have been frequently mistreated in Australia since they began migrating to the continent, with muggings, beatings, and hate crimes commonly occurring in Sydney and other cities. The rally peaked with impassioned speeches by the victims of violent crimes, who ultimately called for protection from the government, which they claim hasn’t enforced equality in Australia.
The recent publicizing of racism in Australia thwarts the long-standing image of Australians as Paul Hogan-esque woodsmen with a taste for cowboy justice, in turn sullying the country’s image globally. Though it has been considered this could potentially hurt Australia’s tourism industry, fears were cast aside when it was realized that most of the world’s vacation time is taken by white people, who will have no problems with racism in Australia unless they open their mouths. The threatened population remains those minorities who have come to study, a group that benefits Australia’s economy in the long run. It is members of these very groups that face the horrible consequences of unbridled prejudice, and now they’ve had enough. They’ve made their case and are now awaiting a response from authorities.