Attempts by Mick Mundine’s Aboriginal Housing Company to remove the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy from the Block in Redfern ratcheted up a notch with a trip to the NSW Supreme Court on 19 June.

The embassy was set up on Sorry Day, 26 May 2014. This May, Mundine’s apparatchiks served a second notice of eviction after a similar notice was served in February. Auntie Jenny Munro’s response then was, “We will refuse their orders. We will stay here. They will have to move us physically, I suppose”.

Her steadfastness, and that of many others, means the embassy is still standing strong.

There have already been physical assaults on people at the embassy. Of course, the Housing Company denies all knowledge. The shift to the Supreme Court is just “another form of bullying and attempted intimidation”, according to another Tent Embassy stalwart, Felon Mason.

In the court, the embassy’s barrister David Ash and solicitor Lisa De Luca did their tireless work. Next to them, and motivated by no such pure motives, were the Aboriginal Housing Company’s small legal army – two barristers (one a senior counsel) and three solicitors. The historical irony of using an English firm, Ashurst Lawyers (one of the Housing Company’s very long and wealthy list of corporate partners), against Indigenous people fighting for land, was somehow lost on them.

Unless they’re doing the work for free (which seems very unlikely with such a firm), that’s $10-20,000 in legal fees for a court appearance of around 10 minutes. As Felon Mason pointed out to Red Flag, “They say they’ve got no money to build houses, but there’s money for this”.

The case will be in court again on Friday, 10 July. Supporters are urged to rally outside the Supreme Court, in Queen’s Square off Macquarie St, at 9am.

“Like” the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy Facebook page to keep up to date and support. Join “Sydney Stands Up Against Forced Closures of First Nations Communities” at a rally at 1pm, Sunday, 28 June, meeting at Town Hall and then marching to the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy.