Abbo anti discrimination rally "why are they concerned about booze?"

[Br.IanVonTurpie]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/centralian-advocate/protest-against-racial-profiling-in-alice-springs/story-fnk4wgm8-1226867313878


HUNDREDS of protesters turned out for a demonstration against racial profiling in Alice Springs on Thursday morning. 
 
One of the event organisers Stacia Chester (Furber) said the demonstration was not just about police being stationed outside of bottleshops.

"It's the whole Interevention/Stronger Futures situation going on here in Alice Springs," she said.

"We're feeling the punches from the Northern Territory and Federal Government so we're coming together to stand up to say this is not right and we're not going to take it anymore."

Ms Chester said the Aboriginal people in Alice Springs were disheartened by the developments with elders and men being stripped of their dignity.

"Even if we go to the shops for bread or milk, we're questioned about what we're buying," she said.
(Why because we know what you coons either spend money on or steal to get booze)

"I had a friend who went to the shop last night to buy yoghurt and the police pulled her up. Stronger Futures is making us the weakest link and the gap isn't closing — it's turning into a sinkhole."



   

Ms Chester recently returned home to Alice Springs after living in Port Augusta and was shocked at what had become of the town.

"I haven't seen anything like it. I thought I was bringing my babies home and then I get here to discover it's gotten really bad."

Speaking about the rally in parliament on Wednesday, Mr Giles said there was no doubt their measures had been successful despite some people who thought it unfairly targeted Aboriginal people.

"Every time I have been with someone else, it does not matter if they are caucasian or otherwise, those people have been checked," Mr Giles said.

Police have been providing high visibility checks outside of Alice Springs bottleshops for the past year. But since February, temporary police beats have been set up for every hour of trade seven days a week as part of Operation Leyland.

Chief Minister Giles said the operation was providing immediate results in driving down alcohol-fuelled crime.

"The results so far have been impressive. During the operation's first two weeks, police reported a 24 per cent reduction in incidents compared to the same period last year," he said.

"They also reported a 54 per cent reduction in assaults."

Mr Giles also said wholesale alcohol supply in Alice Springs was down 7 per cent to the lowest figure on record.