Raelian arrested for wishing to explain the true meaning of the Swastika symbol


29 Jun, 2010
 None    Oceania

Australian police broke up a peaceful celebration of the ancient and sacred swastika symbol in Queensland and arrested the leader of the Australian Raelian Movement during World Swastika Rehabilitation Day on Sunday June 27th.


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Australian police broke up a peaceful celebration of the ancient and sacred swastika symbol in Queensland and arrested the leader of the Australian Raelian Movement during World Swastika Rehabilitation Day on Sunday June 27th.

The International Raelian Movement organized a worldwide celebration of the Swastika on June 27th following a call from RAEL to rehabilitate this sacred and ancient symbol, which forms part of the Raelian symbol. The Australian celebrations included a procession to float a large, white swastika kite with the words LOVE, INFINITY and PEACE on Main Beach, Gold Coast. Placards explaining and illustrating the noble history of the swastika within Buddhism, Hinduism and many other cultures of the world were on display and being viewed with great interest by the passing public.

"Our procession was stopped before it began" explains Jarel Aymonier, leader of the Raelian Movement in Australia.

As helium balloons were being attached to lift the large swastika, police interrupted the preparations following a complaint from an undisclosed source. The police alleged it was racial discrimination and they were stopping ‘the protest’ under the Racial Discrimination Act, despite Jarel explaining that it was not not a protest but a display of religious information to educate the public of the peaceful use of the swastika that pre-dated Nazism.

“The police are welcome to investigate any complaint, but after checking that we were peacefully presenting the religious meaning of the swastika they should have let us continue or even protect us from being threatened,” he said “However instead of protecting us they decided to deny us our freedom of expression. This is a clear misuse of power and I refused to comply."

The police insisted the Swastika kite be dismantled and the placards removed. Those involved were asked for their ID, given a warning to vacate the area and told not to display the Swastika placards or there would be arrests.
"I couldn't accept to be asked to hide my own symbol, a symbol of peace and respect that I wear everyday around my neck" said Jarel. It is for this reason that Jarel was duly arrested and taken to the Police Station along with the ‘offending’ placards. (see attached pictures)

After a short time in a police cell Jarel was released without charges being laid. He said, “It is a sad day for religious freedom and freedom of expression in Queensland. The police force is at the service of the citizens to protect their freedom not to remove it from them. We should never take our freedom for granted. If we don't stand our ground to defend our freedom on all occasions it will be taken away from us. ”

The Raelian Movement will continue to inform the public of the peaceful swastika and will reschedule the event in the near future" said Jarel. "It will also never accept to hide its symbol as it was given to us by our Creators, scientists from another planet, and we should all be very respectful of this gift and of the teachings associated to it."

For more about the meaning of the swastika, please visit www.proswastika.org