Four minutes of silence marked the fourth anniversary of asylum seekers living in detention on Manus Island and Nauru.

Father Mick Burke, special guest speaker, from St Augustine’s Parish thanked attendees for “being people of compassion”. He also spoke about Australia’s refugee policy and those currently in detention.

“When you hear their stories, they have suffered terribly before they were willing to sacrifice to have a better life,” Father Burke said.

“Parents have sacrificed their lives to gain passage to a better place for their children. They are people who truly have suffered, not only but also in the past.”

Father Burke said he was also worried about the language used.

“Is it too gentle? We shouldn’t be talking about detention centres, we should be talking about concentration camps,” he said.

The Good Vibes choir and musician Daniel Clark also performed. Attendees also signed a ‘Bring Them Here’ petition that will be sent to the Federal Government.