Bendigo groups used International Children’s Day to call for children to be taken off Nauru.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Grandmothers against Detention of Refugee Children and Rural Australians for Refugees gathered in Hargreaves Mall on Wednesday to rally for children to be released from offshore detention.
Co-chair of Rural Australians for Refugees Ken Rookes said the group would like to see all children and their families brought to Australia.
“It’s never justifiable to treat a group of people cruelly when they’ve done no wrong,” Mr Rookes said.
“These people have come to Australia seeking help, they’ve done no wrong, they’ve committed no crime.”
GADRC member Kate Olliver called on Australia to have compassion for children in detention.
“These children are facing persecution and tyranny, they can’t just go back to their own country,” Ms Olliver said.
“You don’t want to lock these children up, you want them free. It’s just inhumane.
“We wouldn’t do it to our own children.”
The Australian government reported in June that 14 children were detained on Nauru.
The health situation of children on Nauru has been termed a “humanitarian emergency” by the Australian Medical Association.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.