Darwin Protest 9 November 2020

Supporters gathered at the Northern Territory Supreme Court, State Square, Darwin

http://littledarwin.blogspot.com/2020/11/bugging-case-protest.html

By Rob Wesley-Smith

Pictorial  coverage below  of  Darwin’s   part  in  yesterday’s  national  rally in support  of  Witness K and Canberra lawyer  Bernard Collaery, charged over the revelation that the Australian government  bugged the  Cabinet  office of  Timor-Leste in Dili  during  negotiations   over  the proposed  maritime boundary between the two  countries and  exploitation of  its  energy  reserves.

Held outside the NT  Supreme Court , the   event was organised by longtime  East Timor activist Robert Wesley- Smith,  seen  below , wearing a made in Timor  T-shirt, addressing  the audience. Witness K and  Collaery are regarded as heroes in Timor Leste .  It was  decided to call  the only tree in the court carpark, the  East Timor Tree. Incredibly,  the rally seems not to have been covered  by the local  media ,which is not unusual  in  so called  local  newspapers and other media  in  North Australia.

After  the demo, Wesley-Smith   entered  the  court  building  where there is a pictorial display , including one  of  his  cousin, Chief  Justice  Brian Ross Martin , who presided over  the  Bradley   Murdoch    outback  NT  murder of  Peter Falconio  case; another  notorious case  involved   the   2005  Snowdon  murders  in  South  Australia.

In  the l970s , Wesley -Smith  appeared in the former  Supreme Court  building after having  been  arrested  with  others   at  gunpoint by  defence  force  officers,  on  a boat  attempting  to  take  supplies  to  East Timor.  

Darwin 201109 Wes court

Darwin 201109 Wes and DOS

Darwin 201109 Tshirt

Darwin 201109 woman and map