Aboriginal protesters at a Melbourne city park held a corroboree today, despite action from the city council and police to dislodge them.
The activists are maintaining a constant vigil at a sacred fire in Kings Domain, lit a month ago to highlight key aboriginal issues, including land rights and health.
The fireman (keeper of the flame) of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy (mr) Robert I Corowa says the ceremonies are intended to heal the whole world and heal all the people.
The Supreme Court has issued a ruling allowing the fire to continue burning for the time being but the celebrants have not been left in peace.
Mr Corowa says: "The police and Melbourne City Council. They've got security and all this sort of stuff. They were harassing us last night at two o'clock in the morning when they knocked down our humpy or gunyah. Also they've taken our tents and our sleeping equipment. We're sleeping in the rain. No blankets are allowed, no fires are allowed except for the main fire and no tents. No shelter whatsoever. So we're pretty well living worse than we did 200 years ago."
