Black Lives Matter In Australia Demands Justice For Aborigines

Aboriginal people (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - The Black Lives Matter (BLM) solidarity movement that has been sticking out since May has continued. In Australia, thousands of protesters in major cities took to the streets on Saturday, July 4. The demands of the protesters for justice are increasingly voicing the persecution of indigenous people, the Aborigines.

The protests took place in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Perth and other cities, according to Reuters. In their demands, the protesters demanded that policy makers pay more attention to minorities in line with the emergence of global awareness of anti-racism.

Protesters urged the government to re-investigate the destruction of two ancient Aboriginal sacred caves when mining company Rio Tinto entered Australia. Moreover, considering that currently, the latest government data has shown that indigenous Australians are only 3 percent of the total population of 25 million of the total population of Australia.

On Gadigal Land.Peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protest where protestors are wearing MASKS and are following social distancing. Australian & American BIPOCs are sharing their experiences with systemic racism. It's uplifting seeing weekend shoppers stopping to LISTEN 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pHQLGidk6O

- Andrew Shim 심우근 (@andrewwshim) July 5, 2020

The organizer of the demonstration, Bogaine Spearim, said the protest was a continuation of the global protest after the death of black George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis, United States.

"No police officer or prison guard has ever been charged with murder and sent to prison. So that's why we are here for justice," he said.

As broadcast by local television, the protesters were seen shouting to speak out for the Aboriginal people. "Always, this land has always been Aboriginal land" and, "No justice, no peace, no racist police,"

Uniquely, at the demonstration in Sydney, the organizers of the action urged the masses to continue to prioritize the COVID-19 prevention protocol. They also distributed masks and brought hand sanitizers.

Equally, the action also presented an ancient Aboriginal-style smoking ritual. This ritual is a sign that their family has died in police custody.