20th April, 2024
A second rally and protest is to be held in Wollongong on Saturday the 20th of June at 1 pm in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The National Union of Students Against Racism, who organised the events, said that the first protest, held on Sunday 7th June, saw around 1500 people show up on the day. It is expected that Saturday will have gathered even more support.
As with the first protest, participants are to gather at the Crown Street amphitheatre and will march to Keira street after hearing from several speakers at the rally.
The first rally and protest was a major success, Many brought along home-made signs and wore masks. The signs read things like “Black Lives Matter”, “I Stand For You” and “Stop Deaths In Custody”. The crowd was encouraged to be mindful of social distancing and spare masks were handed out by the organisers of the event.
People in attendance heard from several speakers and readings from elders and family members of indigenous peoples killed in custody.
A moments silence was observed by the crowd at the amphitheatre for the 432 indigenous Australians who have died in custody since the Royal Commission in 1991. Those in attendance took to one knee while listening to testaments of aboriginal elders who called for justice and accountability.
The names of those who have lost their lives in custody were displayed on the stage.
Nadia Neil read a statement on behalf of the family of Nathan Reynolds, an indigenous man who died in custody in 2018.
“The outrage from the death of George Floyd, it’s amazing how it has sparked a fire here in Australia, but we need to recognise that it’s happening here in Australia too.”,
“The politicians tried to silence us and to use COVID-19 pandemic to silence a nation for the first time when we’ve been in solidarity, but what they fail to recognise is that racism and injustice is a pandemic.”, she said.
Protests in Sydney were declared an authorised public assembly by the NSW court after it had been previously deemed illegal for reasons concerning public health. Wollongong council displayed no opposition to the protest’s go ahead.
Wollongong saw over a thousand people march down crown street chanting things such as “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!”, “Who’s lives matter? Black lives matter!”, “Too many coppas, not enough justice!” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police!”
