Thousands gather in Australian cities in support of Syrian refugee crisis
Xinhua, September 8, 2015 Adjust font size:
Thousands of Australians have gathered at candlelight vigils held across the country to campaign for an increased government response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Large crowds gathered in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Darwin overnight as part of the 'Light the Dark' movement, which aims to welcome Syrian refugees to Australia and honor the memory of drowned toddler Aylan Kurdi.
Public awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, which has led to an estimated four million people seeking refugee status, was stirred last week by an image of the deceased three-year-old washed ashore on a beach in Turkey, after his family boarded a boat in a bid to flee the war-torn region.
Another vigil is planned for Australia's capital city, Canberra, on Wednesday night.
"The image of a Syrian child's lifeless body washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach this week brought the world to its knees. His name was Aylan Kurdi, and he was just three years old," a statement made by 'Light the Dark' Sydney said.
"The world is facing a global refugee crisis on a scale we've not seen since WWII, but Australia - our lucky country of a fair go for all - is not doing enough. We can do better to help these people."
"We need to do better."
According to Fairfax Media, the Sydney event gathered a 14,000- strong crowd, and was supported by over 50 non-government organizations and community advocacy groups. Thousands more attended rallies across the nation.
On Monday, Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australia would accept more Syrian refugees, but had not yet made a decision as to whether it would increase its annual refugee quota beyond 13,750.
Amnesty International Australia government relations manager Steph Cousins urged the government to take on 20,000 displaced Syrians.
"The scale of this crisis is so enormous that Australia needs to step up and do more. We're calling for an emergency quota this year," Cousins told Fairfax Media on Tuesday. Endi