NSW: Thunderous applause in Sydney for Rudd's sorry speech

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2008
NSW: Thunderous applause in Sydney for Rudd's sorry speech

SYDNEY, Feb 13 AAP - An apology to the stolen generation was greeted with thunderous
applause at a live broadcast in central Sydney today.

The apology was broadcast on a big screen in Martin Place with thousands of people
cheering and applauding.

Aboriginal man Clarence Slockee, from the NSW north coast, introduced the broadcast,
saying it was the start of a new era.

"In 1788 it was estimated that there were over one million Aboriginal people," he told
the gathering.

"They started counting us in the census in 1967. Today we number just over 500,000.

"We certainly need to account for what happened to the other 500,000, we also need
to account for what has happened in the past, but we certainly must move together into
the future.

"Today is the first step in what we hope will be true reconciliation."

The crowd, many waving Aboriginal and Australian flags, were also shown a broadcast
of the story of some members of the stolen generation.

AAP kd/nap/wjf/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: SORRY SYDNEY

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