The Director of the Edmund Rice Centre today condemned the violence on southern Sydney beaches describing it as “years of policy neglect in the area of community relations coming home to roost”. 

Edmund Rice Centre Director Phil Glendenning wrote this letter to The Australian in response to claims made by Minister for Immigration Amanda Vanstone about the Centre's work:

Phil Glendenning, Director of the Edmund Rice Centre and National President of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), today welcomed home participants in the Freedom Ride 2005. The Freedom Ride 2005 was organized by the ReconciliACTION Network, and supported by ANTaR and the Edmund Rice Centre.