In Australia, thousands gathered in central Sydney on Saturday not knowing if they would be allowed to protest the killing of George Floyd and other deaths of black citizens in custody without risking arrest.
A judge in New South Wales state on Friday had prohibited the protest on the grounds that it breached pandemic-restrictions on large gatherings. Word reached protesters at the last minute that the state appeals court had overturned the decision, allowing the event to proceed.
Local police said around 20,000 protesters took to the streets in Sydney, with several smaller protests across the state including in Outback towns such as Broken Hill, where indigenous Australians make up nearly 10% of the local population.
Organizers of the protest drew parallels between the killing of Mr. Floyd and the 2015 death of Dunghutti man David Dungay, who died while being restrained by guards at Long Bay prison. Mr. Dungay’s final words were “I can’t breathe,” they said, mirroring Mr. Floyd’s pleas as he was restrained by a knee on his neck. His mother, Leetona Dungay, spoke at the event.
The country’s colonial past is an ongoing flashpoint for indigenous Australians. They make up about 3% of the population but face higher unemployment, lower homeownership and higher incarceration rates than other Australians.
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