Images from the Stop Black Deaths In Custody in solidarity with Black Lives Matter rally held on Saturday in Sydney, Australia, Gadigal country.
In excess of 50,0000 people turned up to protest against racialized police brutality and Aboriginal deaths in custody.
The massive crowd gathered at Town Hall, despite warnings by police that the rally had been deemed illegal because of apparent concerns about COVID-19, after a late night sitting at the Supreme Court.
However, midway through speeches, it was announced that an appeal to the court overturned the decision and that the rally would proceed as legal.
More than 434 Aboriginal people have died in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission. Only some of the recommendations of that report have been implemented. One of those victims of custodial deaths was David Dungay Junior, who died while being restrained by prison officers. His last words were, “I can’t breathe” - the same words uttered by the black American, George Floyd, who died two weeks ago, after police in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.
The march headed from Town Hall to Belmore Park where more speeches were made before the rally ended.
A small group of protesters stayed on at Central Station where there was a confrontation with police. Pepper spray was used by police in a last ditch effort to break up the crowd.
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