RULES SCRAPPED FOR PROTEST
Chief Health Officer quietly eases social distancing restrictions More than 1000 gather for Black Lives Matter rally
A THOUSAND- strong crowd marched through the streets of Darwin yesterday as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, in what could be the largest rally in the NT in recent memory.
The rally, organised by Larrakia women Sharna Alley and Mililma May, came amid global outrage following the death of AfricanAmerican man George Floyd allegedly at the hands of a policeman in Minnesota.
There was palpable anger at the peaceful rally, with those addressing the crowd, mainly young First Nations women, speaking of the frustrations surrounding ongoing racism and systemic oppression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
“You’ve held our blood on your hands willingly. Since you stepped foot on our ancestral land and on our ancestral sand,” one speaker said. “We know who you are, no government of any sort, just an unlawful co-operation using us as slaves.
“Built an industry reliant on our pain and trauma, since the moment you tried to declare us flora and fauna.”
The snaking crowd marched from Civic Park through Cavenagh St, Knuckey St then Smith St waving placards and chanting “too many coppers, not enough justice”, “always was, always will be Aboriginal land” and “no justice, no peace”.
Larrakia Elder June Mills, who conducted a smoking ceremony before the march, took aim at Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recent claim that slavery did not exist in Australia.
Mr Morrison has since apologised, saying he was referring specifically to African-American slavery.
About 62,000 Melanesian people were brought to Australia and enslaved to work in Queensland’s sugar plantations between 1863 and 1904, a practice referred to as “blackbirding”.
Kimberly Leach-Devery, who marched in Darwin with her seven-year-old daughter Kiyesha, said the systemic oppression of First Nations people had been going on for too long.
“We’re here because we’re passionate about it and want to make a change for our people,” she said.
“The system still exists, so I’m going to put a stop to it.”
NT Police said the event was peaceful and allowed community members to express their views in a safe environment.