THE father of Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks was heckled at a Eureka Stockade event this morning. Terry Hicks was invited to lead the dawn lantern walk in the Victorian city of Ballarat today, a move criticised by many including Premier Steve Bracks. The ABC reported Mr Hicks kept a low profile during the walk and received support from about 1,000 people who marched with him during the event. However, after he spoke at the Eureka Centre, a small number of people accused him of using the Eureka story for his own political purposes. "How dare you hijack this event," one man yelled from the crowd.
Mr Hicks told the ABC: "I don't mind people having a go at me but could they please come and ask me the story personally." His 29-year-old son has been held on Guantanamo Bay for three years since he was captured with Taliban forces in Afghanistan, and is accused of fighting with the Taliban against US and coalition forces. During his speech, Mr Hicks said in some areas justice had not changed in a century and a half. "One hundred and 50 years ago there was a lot of injustices," he said. "Today, particularly on my side and what I'm doing, we still have injustices."
Today's dawn event was one of many held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade. The battle at the Eureka Stockade was the result of tensions between miners and the Victorian government over unjust taxes. Miners, who were not landholders, were not allowed to vote and were being targeted by crippling taxes enforced by an over-zealous police force. Rioting miners burnt down the Eureka Hotel and built the Eureka Stockade out of wooden slabs and carts on the site of the burnt-out hotel. Two days later, at 4.45am, government forces stormed the camp and about 30 miners and six soldiers were killed. |