The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) has condemned an unauthorised Acknowledgement of Country performed at an anti-trans rally in Hobart.
Organised by British anti-trans campaigner Posie Parker (real name Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull), the rally drew a small crowd to hear her views and those of several speakers.
One woman who gave an expletive-laden speech also acknowledged the "glorious Country of the palawa people".
The anti-trans protestor who gave the unauthorised Acknowledgement of Country. The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre said they were never contacted by any of the movement's members. Credit: Daniel Butler
"Tasmanian Aboriginal people completely understand what it's like to be denied your existence," the palawa woman told NITV.
"We fully support gender equality, and we are against any type of hate speech, so we were there to support members of the Aboriginal trans community and the non-Aboriginal trans community. "
Ms Mansell said no permission had been sought by Keen or other attendees of the anti-trans rally to perform an acknowledgement of Country at the event.
"There was no communication with us... and certainly out of respect for the original landowners, contact should have been made," she said.
"It would be strange for them to acknowledge the palawa people, of whose land they were meeting on, while we were part of the protests against their event."
Nipaluna rally follows Melbourne event attended by far-right extremists
Keen's appearance in nipaluna Hobart followed a much publicised rally of hers in Melbourne last weekend.
On Saturday, Keen and her followers clashed with trans rights activists as police attempted to separate the two groups.
But it was the appearance by a group of far-right extremists in support of Keen's cause that caused the most controversy. As police officers held back competing groups of protestors, the extremists mounted the steps of the state's parliament, performed the Nazi salute and chanted "white power".
The event has since prompted a debate on whether the salute should be outlawed.
Keen attempted to distance herself from the extremists' support, even going so far as to suggest the were trans rights activists masquerading as neo-Nazis.
However, notorious far-right extremist Thomas Sewell posted his explicit backing of Keen's movement on social media.
Mansell said the Acknowledgement of Country performed at Keen's rally so soon after it had drawn the support of neo-Nazis was "a slap in the face".
"Hate speech is not welcome on Aboriginal land," she said.
"Just to give a tokenistic acknowledgement of Aboriginal people, while turning their backs to Aboriginal protesters that were part of the [counter-rally] is completely hypocritical."
