Australia joins protests for 'Black Lives Matter'

Protests are being held in all major cities of Australia in solidarity with demonstrators in US and many parts of the world, triggered by the viral sharing of video showing the brutal death of George Floyd, 46, an African-American man killed by police in Minneapolis on Monday 25 May 2020.

Thousands of people from a diverse background including Aboriginal leaders and activists joined the ‘Black Lives Matters’ movement on Monday 1 June in Perth in solidarity with victims of police brutality.

Questions were also raised regarding the treatment of indigenous people in this country and Aboriginal deaths in police custody and prisons in Australia.

The protests in US have spread to more than 50 US cities, some resulting in violence, arson and looting with almost 40 cities under curfew where President Trump has threatened the protesters by sending in the military.

Former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr has called US President Donald Trump “completely incapable” of uniting the country and easing unrest.

“We haven’t seen America this divided since the civil war of the mid-19^th century,” Mr Carr told A Current Affair.

“A unifying president would have held that up… and given a message of healing.

Sydney protest on Tuesday 2 June 2020 in solidarity with protesters in US.

Thousands of protesters marched through Sydney city on Tuesday 2 June in solidarity with US protestors against the continuing police brutality against African Americans and also highlighting injustice faced by Indigenous Australians.

The huge rally supporting the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement moved from Macquarie Street near Hyde Park to NSW state parliament and ended in Martin Place.

People carried banners saying: “Black Lives Matter,” “Aboriginal Lives Matter,” “White Silence is Violence” and “We See You, We Hear You, We Stand With You”.

Meanwhile during an incident on Monday 1 June in Surry Hills close to Sydney city an Aboriginal teenager was taken to hospital after having his legs kicked out from beneath him as he was arrested by a police officer. The incident caught on camera and posted on social media went viral and was widely critical of police.

NSW Police are investigating the incident and on Tuesday 2 June placed the male officer who arrested the teenager on restricted duties.