‘Heartbreaking’: Refugees left behind as Novak Djokovic supporters celebrate court victory | Novak Djokovic

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Jubilant Serb Australians took their festivities away from the detention hotel where beloved Novak Djokovic had been held for days, leaving stricken refugees and their supporters behind on Monday.

Since December 2020, refugee advocates have stood outside the former hotel every day, desperately trying to spread awareness of the plight of more than 30 men stuck inside indefinitely.

When the world’s No. 1 tennis player unexpectedly joined the refugees and asylum seekers inside, it brought a new group of protesters into the spotlight in the international media.

But that unlikely alliance came to an end on Monday night, as a court ordered Djokovic’s release from immigration detention after overturning the Australian government’s decision to revoke his visa.

For his fans, their hero won David and Goliath’s fight for freedom. They were there to celebrate.

They were carrying Serbian flags and chanting “Novak! Novak! Novak!” before heading to Union Square to continue the festivities.

‘Free Nole’: Fans surround the car as they leave Novak Djokovic’s lawyer’s office – VIDEO

Across the garden, the mood was more bleak, as the defenders of the refugees gathered together. Occasionally they chanted “Free them all” but stood in mostly solemn silence.

They’ve spent the past five days trying to jump off the media’s attention to Djokovic to raise awareness about the other men stuck inside.

They scaled the building, sprayed chalk to make huge banners, and arranged media interviews with refugees. Some have even been arrested – and now with Djokovic out on the loose, they fear the men will be forgotten.

Gemma Harbin has been protesting at the center long before the tennis star arrived – and she said the attention made refugees feel hopeful.

“They feel forgotten and ignored for so long, and eventually people turn up, it might not be for them, but the people outside the building,” Harbin said.

Refugee advocate Gemma Harbin outside the Park Hotel in Carlton on Monday evening. Photography: Kate Kelly

“They are in international news. To see that kind of interest disappear again would be heartbreaking.”

For them, the decision to release Djokovic showed what money and power can do – a victory over Australia’s strict immigration laws.

“I hope they reevaluate the rules and release everyone.”

Harbin said she hopes Djokovic’s saga will make people realize “they are all human.”

She said the tennis champion’s arrival at a simple hotel next to men who had been incarcerated, some for nine years, showed that we are no different from one another.

At the small protest Monday evening, a refugee advocate interrupted some of the supporters’ celebrations to ask if they would all return tomorrow for the refugees.

They answered “yes,” but the lawyer was not convinced.

Djokovic’s supporters argue that he was a pawn in the Australian political game, which the federal government uses to gain votes.

“There was no basis for his detention and they did it anyway,” said Neb Jovanovic, who was draped in a Serbian flag.

We knew the government had its secret agenda behind it, but he succeeded in it – which he always does.

“It’s a step in the right direction for freedom.”

Neb Jovanovic (far left) and other Djokovic supporters outside the hotel on Monday night. Photography: Kate Kelly

When asked if they would see the tennis star play at the Australian Open, there was a pause. They said as a matter of principle you should withdraw.

“If I were him, I wouldn’t have done it,” Jovanovic said.

Adnan was watching, and his last name was not mentioned.

He has been detained since he was 15 years old. He is now 24 years old.

Describing the hotel’s conditions, he said that his name is never called out, only his “detainee” or his number. He said there was no fresh air in their room and not often mixed with others – everyone was often too depressed to leave their room.

“It is terrifying and strange. You are always treated as a suspect. You are treated worse than criminals.”

He said the crowds outside the window for the past few days and the fact that they were sharing the building with Djokovic gave them hope.

“It warms our hearts. It will help us struggle through this unfair environment and give us the strength to resist this cruel immigration system.”

Djokovic’s arrest brought two very different groups with very different types of protest. The tennis star’s supporters sang, danced, lit candles in the evening and joked with the police.

Refugee advocates used loudspeakers, drums and chants to make their point.

As they each gathered outside the Park Hotel for their own reasons, there were enough similarities to unite them, if only for a brief moment.

“I feel very clueless,” one Djokovic supporter said as she left on Thursday. “I came here for him and found out that they have been held for nine years. This is very wrong.”

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