Children removed at gun point in New South Wales

"Footage was provided to Australia's National Indigenous TV (NITV) news show and the video showed the New South Wales police entering a home at around 6:30am earlier in the year to remove some young Aboriginal children."

"The police were joined by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS)."

"The parents who were awoken by the police told NITV that the officers' guns were pointed at them as they were then handcuffed while their children were removed from their care."

"The police said children aged between one and 13 were removed from the home."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/shocking-footage-of-australian-police-in-riot-gear-removing-children-at-gunpoint-9729321.html
 
"A forum has been held in Sydney to tackle the staggering number of Aboriginal children living in out-of-home care."

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders make up five per cent of Australia's child population, yet represent 34 per cent of children in out-of-home care."

"Grandmothers, community members and NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge have formed a united front in response to the forced removal of Aboriginal children, which they addressed at last night's "Still Stolen" forum in Sydney."

"Grandmothers Against Removals campaigner Aunty Hazel told the crowd that authorities needed to engage with families and communities before removing children."

"If the parents are having a problem, talk to them and engage them because these kids don't just belong to mum and dad; they belong to us."

"Aunty Hazel has joined forces with the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care to propose and implement an Aboriginal Community Expert Committee."

"`It will empower communities and families in how these things have been conducted and allow them to access services and prevent removals from families,` she said."

"Greens MP David Shoebridge told the forum that Aboriginal groups were united in efforts to tackle the problem."

"`It's Grandmothers Against Removals (GMAR), it's National Aboriginal Strategic Alliance (NASA), and these organisations that are talking and sharing their stories and saying 'We want control over our families and children to ensure they are being taken care of in their own culture and kin',` he said."

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/09/19/forum-targets-staggering-number-aboriginal-kids-care