231 children's silhouettes on Parliament lawnOn Thursday (4 June 2015) GETUP delivering the petition straight to Parliament House calling for the immediate release of all children and their families from Australian-run detention centres. In addition to delivering the petition, 231 children's silhouettes were placed along the lawn, as well as the large block letters spelling 'KIDS OUT'.

The petition was supported by a range of concerned NGOs.

Because not everyone could be in Canberra for the delivery of the petition, GETUP, with the support of agencies such as CRI, would like to encourage as many Australians as possible to also call for the release of the children held in detention. Concerned Australians are asked to participate in a call for social media action.

231 children's silhouettesYou can participate in the social media action by:

      1. Post a photo of yourself as a child (or a photo of something special from your childhood) on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
      2. Let people know why this particular moment or object is so special to you.
      3. Remind them of the 231 children locked in detention, who are being denied these special moments in their childhood.
      4. Make sure you use the hashtag #kidsout when you post your photo and story. If enough of us take part, we can get our message trending across the country!

Here's an example:

"When I was in fifth grade, my dad surprised me with a puppy, whom I named Sharna. We were best friends, I remember as a kid I felt like I could share anything with her. 

But today, there are 231 children who are currently being denied the opportunity to make memories like these for themselves. They are locked in Australian-run detention centres by our government. 

All children should be given a chance to enjoy their childhood, that's why I'm calling for our government to get #kidsout today."

Don't forget to encourage your friends and family to take part too!

See more at GETUP: Solidarity Action for Kids Out!