Reclaiming Our Streets – My Race Against Racism

Another weekend, and once again our streets are filled with angry, masked protestors, some dressed in black, some arms raised in Nazi salutes. This is springtime Melbourne, our Melbourne.

How does it get to this?  What do these people do for a living? They must live amongst us. Do they shop next to us at Bunnings, or queue for a latte on a Sunday morning? Do we barrack for the same football team?  Do their families must know what they are doing, the immense hurt they are causing?

I ask these questions not to moralise, but I can’t help wondering what hurt are they holding onto that turns fear into such fury? Do these masked marchers even know a Jewish person?

As a (Greek Orthodox) leader of a charity with deep roots in the Jewish community I see this hurt each and every day. I feel this hurt deeply for my friends and colleagues. And I struggle to understand how we got here.
This extends of course, to our fellow Victorians from so many different multicultural and faith backgrounds. Australia is no stranger to racism or protest, but this is darker—more organised, much more sinister.

I think of my own father—a Greek migrant who came here with nothing, worked hard and believed in fairness and dignity. He was proud of his new homeland and taught me that strength is found in service, not in supremacy; in unity, not hate.

In this Melbourne that feels dark and unfamiliar, there is a contrast that gives me hope. On October 12, the streets of Melbourne—Flinders Street, St Kilda Road and the iconic MCG—will again be closed. Not for a hate march, but for runners. The Melbourne Marathon—no masks, no despicable salutes. Instead, there will be thousands of Victorians from all backgrounds and walks of life with a shared goal of testing themselves running distances up to the pinnacle, the 42.195km marathon. On this Sunday there will be high fives from strangers, cheers from the footpath, and thousands of us moving forward together.

I will be one of those runners, running my 20th Melbourne Marathon—at 70 years old – very, very slowly. I don’t speak for every runner, but I speak for myself: I’ll be running to ‘race against racism’, to raise awareness, to reclaim the streets of our beloved Melbourne.

I’m no stranger to the physical and mental challenges of the marathon distance but having to reclaim our streets is something I never thought I would need to consider.

As the CEO of education charity Courage to Care Victoria, created by B’nai B’rith more than thirty years ago – with a universal message against ALL forms of discrimination, I know the power of empathy and Upstander action—and I’m proud to carry that message with every step I take.

In the years I have had the privilege of leading this impactful organisation, I have built relationships and deep friendships with so many members of the Jewish community. I see the passionate activism, the bravery and the unity, and I see the courage.

Every single week I see our passionate and dedicated volunteers – including our treasured Holocaust Survivor Speakers – visit schools across the state, educating and empowering students to be Upstanders against hate speech in all its forms. To respectfully speak up and act. Teaching that being a bystander is not neutral but in fact validates the inappropriate behaviour of the perpetrator. If these students can do it, why can’t every single one of us?
I want to live in a Victoria where my children, your children, and everyone’s children—feel safe on our streets. Where hatred is not normalised but challenged, not with violence, but with courage and honesty.

So, the choice is ours: action or silence. On October 12, I’ll lace up and run my marathon – slowly, but with purpose—to reclaim our streets.

I believe each of us have an obligation to consider how we respond and act, and I am unashamedly using this opportunity to raise profile for Courage to Care. Because I believe that if 200,000+ students across our state can learn to be Upstanders when there is hope for the entire community. The Jewish community – my team, my colleagues and treasured friends are standing up. So, I am inviting every single Victorian to stand with me and consider what they can do to be Upstanders.

Mike Zervos OAM is a 20-year Melbourne Marathon Spartan runner & CEO of Courage to Care Victoria.

Find out more and support ‘Marathon Mike’s efforts at couragetocare.org.au/marathonmike/