Around 3,000 people turned up at Oxford Street today for a counter-corporate Mardi Gras and to march for LGBTQIA+ rights.
The annual Sydney Mardi Gras traditionally marches up Oxford Street but this year, because of COVID-19 concerns, it was held at a ticketed event at the Sydney Cricket Ground. There has been a groundswell of discontent in recent times about the increasing corporatisation of Mardi Gras, which had its origin in 1978 as a community protest against police brutality against gays and lesbians. Since then, it has grown into a multi-million dollar event with sponsorship from big business and mainstream political parties.
Today’s protest followed the route of the original 1978 march, from Taylor Square, down Oxford Street, to Hyde Park and brought to light LGBTQIA+ rights, Aboriginal deaths in custody, black lives matter, and refugee issues. It also demanded the abolition of discriminatory state government legislation brought on by One Nation’s Mark Latham. The march was given a late exemption yesterday to COVID-19 related health orders by the courts. A large police presence was in force throughout the day.
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