Anniversary of William Cooper’s Solidarity Protest

6 December

Content note: This page refers to antisemitism, Nazi persecution and discrimination without graphic descriptions. Linked historical material may be distressing and may include names, images or voices of deceased people.

On 6 December 1938, Yorta Yorta leader William Cooper led an Australian Aboriginal League delegation to the German consulate in Melbourne to protest the persecution of Jewish people. The anniversary honours a stand for the rights and dignity of others, taken while Aboriginal people were themselves denied equality.

The protest behind the date

The delegation acted after the November 1938 attacks on Jewish people in Germany and Austria, commonly known as Kristallnacht. Cooper and his colleagues sought to deliver a written protest condemning Nazi persecution. German consular officials refused to accept it.

The National Museum of Australia and Melbourne Holocaust Museum identify 6 December 1938 as the date of the delegation. This anniversary marks that action, rather than the dates of Kristallnacht itself. The distinction keeps the focus on what Cooper and the League chose to do.

First Nations leadership and solidarity

Cooper’s advocacy extended across Aboriginal rights, political representation and justice. The Australian Aboriginal League was part of a broader movement through which Aboriginal people organised and challenged exclusion.

His protest against Nazi persecution can be understood alongside that work. It shows leadership that recognised injustice beyond one’s own community. It should not be told in a way that makes Aboriginal rights a secondary concern or suggests the delegation’s moral authority depended on later recognition by governments.

Remembering the people and the action

Cooper is often the best-known name associated with the protest, but the delegation was an Australian Aboriginal League action. Remembering collective organisation alongside individual leadership gives a fuller account of how public advocacy happens.

Claims that the delegation was the only protest of its kind anywhere in the world require particular caution. The significance of the action does not depend on an absolute claim that is difficult to establish. What the historical accounts clearly document is an Aboriginal-led attempt to confront the persecution of Jewish people.

Ways to mark the anniversary

Read accounts from both First Nations history and Holocaust education sources. Discuss what solidarity asks of people when they have limited formal power, and how standing against antisemitism and racism can become practical action.

Give participants a choice about engaging with distressing material and preview linked resources before using them with children. Avoid role-play involving persecution or asking anyone to disclose family trauma. The anniversary can be marked through learning, respectful dialogue and support for the dignity and safety of people facing discrimination today.

Sources and further reading

The resources below provide historical records, community or institutional perspectives, and further learning. Linked material may include historical language, names or images of people who have died.

William Cooper protests. National Museum of Australia. Cooper’s wider advocacy and the 6 December 1938 protest.
William Cooper protests

Australia’s response to the plight of European Jewry. Melbourne Holocaust Museum. Historical context and the Australian Aboriginal League delegation.
Australia’s response to the plight of European Jewry

Kristallnacht and William Cooper. Koori History. A First Nations historical perspective on the protest and its significance.
Kristallnacht and William Cooper

William Cooper: a Koorie’s protest against the Nazis. NITV. Further discussion of the protest and contemporary reporting.
William Cooper: a Koorie’s protest against the Nazis

Related learning and resources

Use the reading links above as a starting point for further learning. Any future products or learning resources linked to this anniversary will be selected for their relevance and the quality of their information.