Black Lives Matter movement comes to Sydney

BY CHARLOTTE GRIEVE

The police killings of the two African-American men in Minnesota and Louisiana earlier this month has seen the proliferation of street protests and vigils around the world.

The deaths have opened up wider questions about police brutality and racially-motivated discrimination and violence. These issues, among others, have given momentum to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement spearheaded in 2013.

What originally began as a social media hashtag, the BLM movement is now sweeping across the globe highlighting instances of injustice faced by minority groups around the world.

“When I say Black Lives Matter, I also mean women’s lives matter, Palestinians, LGBTQI peoples, anyone who is affected by profiling or brutality. It’s about unity not segregation” said Enoch Mailangi.

On Saturday, July 16, hundreds of people gathered at the City of Sydney’s Town Hall wearing all-black outfits to march in solidarity with the BLM movement.

The rally was organised by Enoch Mailangi and Keisha Gibson who wanted to capitalise on the movement’s momentum to highlight ongoing and overlooked injustices faced by indigenous Australians.

“We’re in a climate of denial. Indigenous issues are never covered in our mainstream media, it’s not something the public are aware of,” Mr Mailangi said.

“The difference between African American deaths in custody and Aboriginal deaths in custody is that African American deaths make it all over the news whereas Aboriginal deaths are hidden,” Bidjari Elder and activist, Ken Canning told City Hub. Latest figures have shown that while indigenous Australians represent only three per cent of the total population, they account for more than 28 per cent of Australia’s prison population.

Speaking at the event, Marcia Mason told the story of her brother, a father of four Indigenous man, Mark Mason, who died at the hands of the Australian police.

“The shooter, killer has been given a valour award” she said.

“This has to stop. Accountability must come to force. We need to bring integrity back to the police force. We need charges laid” Mrs Mason told the crowd.

Twenty-five years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed down its final report, Mr Canning sees the issue as simply “getting worse.”

“Nothing has happened, it shouldn’t be like this” he said.

High-profile deaths such as that of Ms Dhu has drawn attention to the continued prevalence of police brutality towards indigenous Australians throughout the country. Also speaking at the rally, Mr McAleer, argued that these were not isolated incidents.

“There are not just a few bad apples in the police force, the whole institution is rotten to the core,” he said.

Concerns surrounded the rally after snipers took out five police officers at the Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas earlier this month. Riot squads and mounted police oversaw the crowd as they marched from Town Hall to the American Consulate in Martin Place.

On Sunday, July 17, thousands of Melbournians held a BLM protest outside the State Library. Mr Canning reminded the crowd that although the protest was held “under tragic circumstances,” he feels confident for the movement’s ability to bring these issues to the fore.

“We now have a united front of people who want justice” he said.