• Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Teen arrested following Capel Sound attempted armed robbery
  • Car show supports young patients
  • Fatal collision in Somerville
  • Sharks get their bite back
  • Kangaroos and Demons continue undefeated starts
  • Mornington, Pines still top dogs
  • Kah finds the key to La Mexicana’s best
  • Train mounts platform in Seaford accident
Facebook Twitter
MPNEWS MPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
MPNEWS MPNEWS
Home»Latest News»Christians protest in Greg Hunt’s ‘den’
Latest News

Christians protest in Greg Hunt’s ‘den’

By Neil WalkerMay 6, 2015Updated:May 12, 2015No Comments3 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
Peaceful protest: The Uniting Church’s Reverend Cameron McAdam, second right, with Love Makes A Way members at the office of Flinders Liberal MP Greg Hunt stage a sit-in protest against the detention of asylum seeker children at Nauru and Manus Island detention centres. Picture: Cameron McCullough

CHRISTIAN leaders have occupied the Hastings office of Flinders Liberal MP Greg Hunt and are refusing to leave until the Federal Environment Minister gives a commitment “to release all children” from the Nauru and Manus Island detention centres.

A Christian coalition of Uniting Church, Baptist Church, Church of Christ and Peninsula City Church members grouped under the Love Makes A Way banner turned up unannounced at Mr Hunt’s electorate office at 11am this morning to protest against the federal government’s asylum seekers policies.

Love Makes A Way describes itself as “a movement of Christians seeking an end to Australia’s inhumane asylum seeker policies through prayer and nonviolent love in action”.

Group members were detained in May last year after staging a sit-in prayer meeting and vigil at Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office in Sydney.

A similar protest by a group of Christian priests and nuns was held at Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten’s office at the same time as the sit-in at Mr Abbott’s electorate office.

Police arrived at Mr Hunt’s office at about midday today.

Love Makes A Way spokesman Sam Hearn told The News police officers tried to convince six Christian leaders holding a vigil inside Mr Hunt’s office premises to leave.

Mr Hearn said office staff at Mr Hunt’s office called the police.

“We have a commitment to non-violent protest  … but stand on behalf of the issue at the same time and the people who can’t have a voice for themselves.”

He said the six inside the office building are praying and holding a vigil “for all of us” including the children and families held in offshore detention.

“They [the six] are not blockading or stopping people from coming in and out of the office but the staff said that they find it a disruption to their work day.”

The six leaders staging the sit-in at Mr Hunt’s office are the Uniting Church’s Reverend Cameron McAdam, Church of Christ’s Reverend Paul Randle, Peninsula City Church’s Dean Moroney and the Baptist Church’s Kristen Furneaux, Joel Furneaux and Tim Johnson.

About 20 youth workers and church members are also holding vigil outside Mr Hunt’s office.

The six are refusing to leave until “Greg Hunt will approach the Prime Minister and Cabinet in order to seek a moratorium on the transfer of asylum seekers, especially children, to Nauru and Manus Island” according to the group’s media statement.

A spokeswoman for Mr Hunt said the Environment Minister is in meetings in Melbourne today but he had called to speak to a Love Makes A Way representative at the scene.

She confirmed office staff had called police when the protesters refused to leave because they are “trespassing”.

Police officers remain at the scene.

More to come…

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Fatal collision in Somerville

April 19, 2021

Denial over ‘threat’ to marine life

April 19, 2021

Concerns over barriers to trade

April 19, 2021

Council candidate wins seat on second count

April 19, 2021
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Weather
Apr 20, 2021 - Tue
Mornington, Australia
11°C
light rain
light rain
1 m/s, SE
90%
759.06 mmHg
tue04/20 wed04/21 thu04/22 fri04/23 sat04/24
moderate rain
12/11°C
light rain
13/13°C
light rain
15/14°C
light rain
15/12°C
light rain
15/14°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click here to read

March 29, 2021
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click here to read

February 25, 2021
Property of the Week

Horizon sets new goal for property prices

January 11, 2021
Council Watch

‘Providers’ sought to take over shire’s home day care

April 19, 2021

Susan Bissinger set for council seat after recount

April 13, 2021
Interview

Moment of madness, but no end to family’s pain

April 19, 2021
Contact
Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2021 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.