RESIDENTS JOIN GLOBAL PROTEST
Hundreds plan to attend Toowoomba Black Lives Matter events
HUNDREDS of Toowoomba residents are expected to take to the streets of the city this weekend to protest racism and police brutality as part of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement.
Two different events have been planned for Saturday and Sunday, with organisers calling for the end of racism to both African-Australians and indigenous people.
It comes as the world is still in the grip of massive protests and civil unrest after the death of African-American George Floyd due to police brutality in the United States last week. Black Lives Matter protests have already kicked off in Australia.
The Toowoomba events are expected to be peaceful.
THE organiser behind one of two Black Lives Matter protests planned for Toowoomba this weekend says he wants to see the end of racism against African Australians and Aboriginal people.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend two protests, one on Saturday at Laurel Bank Park from noon and one on Sunday at Queens Park at 2.40pm.
The events come amid worldwide protests and civil unrest after the death of an unarmed black man George Floyd while he was subdued heavily by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota last week.
Saturday protest organiser and former South Sudanese refugee Amol Santino said every member of his family had experienced racism at some point.
“It’s been happening ever since I’ve been in Australia (in 2003),” he said.
“I have a lot of indigenous friends who are close to me (who have also experienced this).”
The Toowoomba protests will also focus on the deaths of Aboriginal Australians while in custody, along with the global issue of police brutality.
More than 430 indigenous Australians have died while in the hands of police or other law enforcement since 1991, a statistic widely reported in the media this week.
Representative for the Darlo people of the Wakka Wakka nation Patricia Conlon said she hoped the protests would lead to real reforms around indigenous deaths in custody.
“We can’t keep ignoring it and hoping it will go away,” she said.
Both protests are peaceful, with participants urged to practice social distancing and wear face masks while restrictions were still in place.
tom.gillespie@thechronicle.com.au