Despite recent surveys showing a fall in the yes vote, organizers are expecting momentum will develop at events and rally held all over the country to support the Indigenous voice to parliament. Thousands of people have turned out at these gatherings across the country.
The Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, addressed a rally at the Brisbane Yes23 event to begin the day of action on Sunday with welcome to country and smoking ceremonies.
How frequently do we get the opportunity to put our shoulder to the wheel of history and give it a little bit of a nudge? Burney questioned the throng of people. “You only have one shot at it in your whole life, and here is our chance. It’s all about taking Australia ahead, and that includes everyone.
Similar Come Together for Yes events were conducted in other cities, with many thousand people turning out to enjoy the winter sun at Prince Alfred park in the Central Business District of Sydney. Many of the attendees brought homemade signs to the event to promote a yes vote.
At the Sydney event, Rachel Perkins, a cofounder of the Yes23 campaign, stated to the media that the most recent polls indicating a fall in the yes support did not reflect the reality on the ground.
“It is not always something that is shown on television. She remarked, “You don’t see it in the newspapers, but there are conversations taking place around kitchen tables, in sporting clubs, and in workplaces all across the country.” “And that’s just going to continue to grow.”
Jaymee Beveridge, who works at the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre, addressed the crowd assembled at the University of Wollongong and explained that the fight is a long game.
“We are exhausted but we are hopeful warriors,” she stated to me. “We are exhausted.” “The fiber that can help weave us together as a nation will be strengthened by the yes vote that you cast,”
Massive audiences attended the Victorian rallies held at the trade halls in both Melbourne and Ballarat. Aunty Violet, a Ngunnawal elder, urged the gathering in Canberra to vote yes in order to improve the lives of Indigenous people.
She addressed people who had bundled up against the bitter cold and said, “We’re asking all Australians to walk alongside us – vote yes for a better future.”
The organizers were eager to persuade people to come and listen to speakers explain what the forthcoming referendum meant for them and their communities, so they provided a variety of amenities at most of the venues, including food trucks, coffee vans, and entertainment for children.
Peter Dutton, the leader of the opposition, has lashed out at some of the largest firms in Australia, including several mining giants and other large businesses, for donating money to the yes campaign, which is supporting the Indigenous voice to parliament. Dutton stated on Sunday that many large firms “lacked a significant backbone” when it came to the approaching voice referendum. He made this statement in reference to the upcoming vote.
“There are a lot of people who are just craving popularity and are trying to please people in the Twittersphere,” he told News. “There are a lot of people who are just craving popularity.”
Dutton continues to assert that there are outstanding questions about how the voice advisory body would operate, despite the fact that the Liberal Party is advocating for a “no” vote.
It is anticipated that a referendum will take place later on this year.
