Fort Ferguson occupation, 1966

In October 1966, **a group of sixty Alaoni workers occupied the Fort Ferguson immigration station**, as a way of campaigning for harmony between European Aurelians and the Alaoni. The protesters also sought to address problems such as educational inequality, social injustice and poor working conditions.

Fort Ferguson, which had long served as an immigration inspection station for immigrants arriving in Aurelia, was closed in 1957, and had fallen into disrepair as the site was largely ignored by the government.

The occupation began on October 12, 1966, when a group of thirty-six Alaoni men and women travelled to the fort from Nelson. This group primarily consisted of workers and students, although they were later joined by more people in the days that followed. The group began to peacefully protest on the island, displaying banners and chanting. Journalists and photographers began to make their way to the fort, hoping to provide coverage of the events that were occuring. The leaders of the occupation were interviewed by journalists, and the footage appeared on national television.

As the occupation became national news, many non-Alaoni also travelled to the fort to lend their support. Police also began to make their way to Fort Ferguson. Meanwhile, as the occupation led to increased awareness of Alaoni issues including poor living conditions and educational inequality, peaceful protests began in Nelson, Shelburne and Chichester. On the evening of October 14, several students were arrested outside the Parliament House after they confronted police officers. Back at Fort Ferguson, struggles began between police and the protesters, with 14 being arrested. This only made the situation worse, as the protesters believed that the police were trying to silence their right to protest. Prime Minister Jeffrey Walter, a supporter of Alaoni civil rights, and who was worried that the situation would cause riots and worsen relations with the Alaoni, made a televised address to the nation, promoting harmony and understanding.

The occupation continued for two weeks, and for the most part remained peaceful. The last Alaoni protestors left the fort on November 2, 1966. The event remains a key moment within the Alaoni cultural and political movement of the 1960s, and is remembered to this day as a turning point within relations between the Alaoni and European Aurelians. In response to the events of the occupation, the government started several programmes to improve the socioeconomic conditions of many poorer Alaoni, and introduced the Alaoni language as a compulsory school subject.

Fort Ferguson, which was converted into an immigration museum in 1984, now features an exhibit on the occupation.

## 2014 occupation

In September 2014, a group of students associated with progressive political groups attempted to stage an occupation of Fort Ferguson, inspired by the original occupation of 1966. The protestors sought to call attention to the Liberal government's controversial immigration reform, choosing the island as a site for their protest because of its status as a symbol of historic immigration to Aurelia. Eight students were arrested at the site after attempting to enter a restricted area of the site. Almost six weeks after the occupation, embarrassment came to the Labor Party after right-wing tabloids gained access to police reports, which showed that one of the arrested students was the niece of Michael Reilly, the Premier of New Alderney.