Over the last six days, the Indigenous Solidarity Rides have travelled from Newcastle and Sydney, through NSW to Adelaide. Along the way, we have met with and heard stories from Aboriginal people waging huge struggles for their rights, land and culture. Below are some responses from bus trip participants and what they have learned and gained from the trip so far.
"I've been having a great time. I didn't know how full on it would be. I travelled with the Just Transition Tour last year, but I'm only just starting."
Rob Martin, Central Coast
"This is a memory that will live on, one of the best memories. We all have different reasons to be here, but we have one mission: we have all recognised that Aboriginal people have the right to live their life, as was done before white settlement, or as ever they want. We need to respect that."
Adrian, Newcastle
"This trip has been awesome. Everyone is concerned, and even the people here who didn't know a lot about what was going on with the NT intervention, they've now been inspired to do more about it. I didn't know what to expect, but the people on the bus are a good crew. We're going to Alice but along the way we're having debates about how to change society for the better."
Aaron Roden, Sydney
"The bus rides have been a huge opportunity to raise awareness about what the NT intervention is doing to the lives of Aboriginal people. It really brings the issue back into the foreground, and we've found that the response to the bus trip has been overwhelmingly positive. People are re-addressing the government's policy and realising the need for radical change."
Jay Fletcher, Wollongong
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