Crowds have begun to gather at protests across capital cities, in solidarity with indigenous Australians and the Black Lives Matter movement, and against the murder of George Floyd in the US.
The Supreme Court of NSW gave a determination yesterday that protests could not go ahead due to COVID-19 concerns, but following a successful last-minute appeal, they will proceed.
Protests in Sydney kicked off at 3pm in front of the city’s Town Hall, where large crowds had already started to assemble prior to the successful appeal.
In South Australia, police gave special permission for the rally to go ahead despite public health restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Protesters filled Victoria Square and spilled onto neighbouring streets.
Spilling onto King William St @9NewsAdel pic.twitter.com/5bp74N11u8
— Tom Angley (@TomAngley26) June 6, 2020
Aerial footage of the protests shows thousands of people gathering in and around Brisbane’s King George Square, where people waved indigenous flags and carried signs in support of Black Lives Matter.
Brisbane mob I’m so proud of you
Always was always will be✊🏾
Allies thank you🖤
This is our fight…#IndigenousLivesMatter #AboriginalLivesMatter #blacklivesmatteraustralia pic.twitter.com/aH8I8yM0P3
— Nathan Appo (@Elusive_Sausage) June 6, 2020
Authorities in Victoria warned organisers and individual protesters that they would face fines, and the state’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned people against attending for public safety reasons.
Nonetheless, thousands gathered in Melbourne, where representatives from the local Wurundjeri people have addressed the crowd from the steps of the parliament.
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) June 4, 2020
Hundreds have registered their interest in attending a candlelight vigil on the lawns of Parliament House in Hobart.