The Spirit Rises: Inside Australia’s Protests, A Sense of Place Magazine, 10 February, 2022.

By John Stapleton.

While mainstream journalists around the country continue to ignore the biggest story of their lifetimes, Australia’s independent media is on fire.

Thousands of people from all around Australia are converging on Canberra as part of the Canberra Convoy protests.

The protests are both chaotic and glorious, and the burgeoning campsite on the outskirts of Canberra is daily demonstrating a remarkable cohesion and goodwill amongst people from hugely disparate backgrounds.

All great movements are born of chaos and extremity, just like life itself.

Thus it is proving in Australia’s national capital.

There are frictions and personality clashes; but there are also repeated and heart warming displays of kindness, cooperation and camaraderie. 

Everyone here is on the verge of losing everything. PROTESTOR.

The song is repeatedly heard:

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We’ll share a dream and sing with one voice
“I am, you are, we are Australian”

I’m a teller of stories
I’m a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira
And I paint the ghostly gums
I’m Clancy on his horse
I’m Ned Kelly on the run
I’m the one who waltzed Matilda
I am Australian