(ANSA) - ROME, JANUARY 26 - Fifty years ago four young Aboriginal activists planted a beach umbrella on the lawn in front of the Australian Parliament, in Canberra, with a handwritten sign: 'Aboriginal Embassy'.
It was January 26, 1972, the anniversary of the founding of the Australian colony, and the initial idea was that of a permanent vigil to reclaim the right of the natives to land, taken from them by the British.
A few days later the umbrella was replaced by a tent and soon the four activists, Michael Anderson, Billy Craigie, Tony Coorey and Bertie Williams, joined the protest by thousands of people from different parts of Australia.
Half a century later the Aboriginal Embassy tent is still there, despite attempts by the government and police to remove it, and testament to the longest protest for the right to land of an indigenous people against the government of a country.
A problem that remains unsolved, but the tent, placed in a strategic crossroads of foreign guests, politicians, journalists, has managed to attract the attention of the world and the international media to the issue.
"The embassy was basically conceived as a representation for all indigenous nations - one of the founders, Anderson, now 70, told AlJazeera - that little piece of land we occupied had to be seen as a neutral place where Aborigines could come and express their opinions. on the occupation to which we were subjected by the British. "
But, he explains, "we have not yet come close to solving the problems", and despite the many facade operations, "the aborigines are worse off than they have ever been".
"My work isn't done. We still have a long way to go."
(HANDLE).