Astor Theatre Petition
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Friends of The Astor Association Inc. PO BOX 1149 Windsor VIC 3181 ABN: 52 558 399 171 ƐƚŽƌdŚĞĂƚƌĞƉĞƚŝƚŝŽŶ͚ŽŶĞŽĨƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͛ƐĨĂƐƚĞƐƚ͛ 21 May 2012 An online petition calling on the elŝƚĞ^ƚDŝĐŚĂĞů͛Ɛ'ƌĂŵŵĂƌ^ĐŚŽŽůƚŽůĞƚDĞůďŽƵƌŶĞ͛ƐŝĐŽŶŝĐart deco Astor Theatre survive has attracted 10,000 signatures in five days, making it one of website ŚĂŶŐĞ͘ŽƌŐ͛ƐŵŽƐƚƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůAustralian petitions ever. The petition, part of a community campaign to Protect the Astor, was launched at 12.30pm on Wednesday and by 2pm today had clocked up more than 10,000 signatures from around Australia and the world, and hundreds of messages of support. At its peak the petition was attracting 240 new signatures an hour. ͞dŚŝƐŚĂƐďĞĞŶŽŶĞŽĨƚŚĞĨĂƐƚĞƐƚŐƌŽǁŝŶŐƉĞƚŝƚŝŽŶƐƚŚĂƚŚĂŶŐĞ͘ŽƌŐŚĂƐŚŽƐƚĞĚŝŶƚŚĞƐŝdžŵŽŶƚŚƐŝƚ ŚĂƐďĞĞŶŽƉĞƌĂƚŝŶŐŝŶƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͕͟ŚĂŶŐĞ͘ŽƌŐ͛ƐĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ͕dŽŶLJZŽďĞƌƚƐŽŶ͕ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞KƚŚĞƌƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂŶƉĞƚŝƚŝŽŶƐƚŚĂƚŚĂǀĞĂƚƚƌĂĐƚĞĚƚŚŝƐŵany signatories this quickly have been on national issues, so it is extraordinary for a state-based issue to draw this level of interest. The incredible response shows the depth of feeling about the need to protect The Astor Theatre.͟ Petition organiser Vanda Hamilton, president of community organisation Friends of The Astor, said she was heartened that so many people cared about the future of The Astor. ͞dŚĞƉĞŽƉůĞĂƌĞƐƉĞĂŬŝŶŐĂŶĚ/ũƵƐƚŚŽƉĞƚŚĞďŽĂƌĚŽĨ^ƚDŝĐŚĂĞů͛Ɛ'ƌĂŵŵĂƌ^ĐŚŽŽůis ůŝƐƚĞŶŝŶŐ͕͟DƐ Hamilton said. ͞WĞŽƉůĞĚŽŶŽƚǁĂŶƚdŚĞƐƚŽƌƚƵƌŶĞĚŝŶƚŽĂƉƌŝǀĂƚĞƐĐŚŽŽůƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐĂƌƚƐĐĞŶƚƌĞĂŶĚƵŶŝĨŽƌŵ ƐŚŽƉ͘dŚĞLJǁĂŶƚƚŚŝƐĐŝŶĞŵĂ͕ŽŶĞŽĨƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͛ƐůĂƐƚŐƌĞĂƚƉŝĐƚƵƌĞƉĂůĂĐĞƐ͕ƚŽůŝǀĞŽŶ͘͟ The petition calls on ^ƚDŝĐŚĂĞů͛Ɛ'ƌĂŵŵĂƌ^ĐŚŽŽůƚŽƌĞůŝŶƋƵŝƐh the site. Supporters want to raise $5 million to buy the building and ensure it can continue its historic purpose as a cinema. The online campaign has been assisted by Twitter support from film and television personalities, including comedian Tony Martin, Rove McManus, Adam Hills, Melissa Doyle and Rob Mills. Supporters include film industry luminaries actor Michael Caton, Underbelly star Roy Billing, ABC TV At the Movies host David Stratton and The Cup star Stephen Curry, who will launch the campaign at a community day featuring a free movie and popcorn, tours and Jaffa rolling on 16 June. DƐ,ĂŵŝůƚŽŶƐĂŝĚŚĞƌŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƚŝŽŶǁĂƐŶŽƚĐŽŵĨŽƌƚĞĚďLJ^ƚDŝĐŚĂĞů͛ƐĐůĂŝŵƐƚŚĂƚŝƚƐƌĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ǁŽƵůĚ͞ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚƚŚĞƚŚĞĂƚƌĞ͛ƐŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐƵƐĞĂƐĂĐŝŶĞŵĂ͟ĂƐƚŚĞƌĞǁĂƐŶo guarantee that The Astor in its current form would survive. ͞The Astor has survived a World War and the advent of video, DVD, movies online and the multiplex. It would be a tragedy if it went the way of other classic and arthouse cinemas, like the Walter Burley 'ƌŝĨĨŝŶĂƉŝƚŽůdŚĞĂƚƌĞ͕ƚŚĞsĂůŚĂůůĂŝŶĞŵĂ͕dŚĞ>ŽŶŐĨŽƌĚ͕dŚĞdƌĂŬĂŶĚƚŚĞĂƌůƚŽŶDŽǀŝĞŚŽƵƐĞ͘͟ To sign the online petition go to change.org/astor. For more information go to fota.net.au. Media contacts: Ingrid Svendsen, CPR communications, 0409 007 530 / [email protected] Jack Herbert, CPR Communications, 0405 584 567 / [email protected] Tony Robertson, Communications Director Australia, Change.org, 0419 867 230 .