“There was a lot of deep emotion and continues to be, but it was important to get a sense of the spiritual peacefulness that people were really looking … amidst what has been an absolutely horrific time,” she told the ABC on Monday.

“I’m also mindful that we’ve got to take the country with us. And right now, I think people just need to have time together and stay strong against hatred and division.”

Day of defiance ahead of protests planned for weekend

Krautungalung Elder Uncle Robbie Thorpe says the far right attackers who stormed Camp Sovereignty last month fear what the camp stands for.

The August 31 attack occurred during what is a weekly smoking ceremony, one designed to be a welcoming rite for anyone interested in attending and learning at the Camp.

Uncle Robbie Thorpe at Camp Sovereignty on Saturday. The Elder says far right figures who attacked the camp on August 31 ‘fear’ what it represents. Credit: Anna-Marie Harding.

Camp Sovereignty is a sacred burial site for ancestral remains that have been repatriated (or “rematriated” as Uncle Thorpe says, referring to the Mother Earth) to Country, and also serves as a gathering and protest site.

Organised by Kaninna Langford, known professional as Miss Kaninna, Saturday’s event included speeches, music and a smoking ceremony.

Protests are being planned for Saturday by community groups across the country in response to the attack.