Countless thousands have taken to the streets across Australia as part of growing worldwide demonstrations against police brutality and racism. Some of the protests have sparked clashes with police.
In Sydney, footage shows a massive crowd assembled outside the city’s town hall. The gathering was ruled lawful by the New South Wales appeals court at the last minute, despite restrictions on assembly due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A counter-protester standing on the steps of the town hall as he held a sign saying “All lives matter” was pushed and booed by the crowd, before being escorted away by police.
Protesters shouted “I can’t breathe” and “Black lives matter” as they waved signs and marched. However, scuffles later broke out with police in the city’s Central Station, with local media reporting that demonstrators were hit with pepper spray. At least one demonstrator was arrested for allegedly assaulting a female police officer.
Demonstrations were also held in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and other towns and cities around the country. The anti-racism rallies focused on seeking justice for an estimated 400 Indigenous people who have died while in police custody since 1991.
Protests mirroring the Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the United States have sprung up across Europe, in cities including Dublin, London, Paris and Berlin.
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