Police chief Grant Stevens allows Adelaide anti-racism protest to go ahead on Saturday
SA’s top police officer has decided a Black Lives Matter protest can go ahead in Adelaide on Saturday, despite ongoing social gathering restrictions. YOUR VERDICT: POLL + COMMENTS
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Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has decided to allow an anti-racism rally in the heart of the city on Saturday, despite social distancing restrictions remaining in force.
Protesters plan to gather at Victoria Square at noon to march through the city in solidarity for murdered black American George Floyd and those seeking justice against racism in Australia and overseas.
Mr Stevens on Friday announced he had decided to grant an exemption to allow more than 80 people to gather at the Black Lives Matter rally.
He said it was a unique situation that required balancing public health considerations with citizens’ rights to peacefully protest.
“This is a unique and extraordinary event. There is a sentiment that suggests that people should have a right to peacefully protest on significant matters,” Mr Stevens said.
“There is also the reality that with significant numbers of people attending that the potential to prevent it from occurring is also a very difficult challenge for police.
“This can occur as a peaceful protest and we’re very keen to work with the organisers to ensure it’s peaceful and it’s conducted in accordance with the social distancing principles.”
Mr Stevens said he considered advice from chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, and the “virtually non-existent” community transmission of coronavirus in SA.
SOS Blak Australia SA Action Group community member and Adelaide protest co-host Natasha Wanganeen said she wholeheartedly appreciated Mr Stevens granting the exemption.
“It’s a sign on his behalf to show he wants to move forward as a collective instead of not recognising this and turning a blind eye like we’ve done in the past so many times,” she said.
An Advertiser.com.au poll found strong opposition to the rally going ahead, with many readers commenting that it was not justified given the current restrictions on social gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About three-quarters of more than 2500 readers who voted in the online poll by midday said the protest should not go ahead. Of the 2522 respondents, 24 per cent were in favour of the protest proceeding and 76 per cent opposed.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Australians not to attend rallies during the coronavirus pandemic, saying they must respect their fellow Australians who have been unable to attend funerals and reiterating that the health risks “are real”.
But many readers were alarmed about the protest proceeding amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic, saying there would be a “disgraceful double standard to those who were ordered not to attend the funeral of a family member” or wanted to march on Anzac Day.
“Why is this even happening? Don’t we still have social distancing laws in the state? It makes a mockery of all the past weeks of staying home and keeping away from families and friends. So I’ll assume that pubs, clubs, sports are all back to normal now if this thing goes ahead. Very poor judgment!,” said one reader, Rex.
But Rod said: “Racism has killed more South Australians than the virus, so the protest should go ahead.”
The protests initially divided opinion between two premiers whose states have been hit hardest by coronavirus amid key concerns about the message it sends at a time when people are being encouraged to social distance and widespread restrictions remain in place for gatherings.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews urged tens of thousands of protesters to stay at home.
“It would not be safe, in my judgment, and the judgment of our medical experts, to be having gatherings of that size,” Mr Andrews said.
But his NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian has given protesters the green light, despite public gatherings larger than 10 being banned.
“I would never want to be in a position where we took away the right of people to demonstrate their ability to protest. But it has to be done in a COVID-safe way,” she said.
However, on Friday, Ms Berejiklian reversed her decision after discussions with the NSW Police Commissioner, who announced officers would fine groups of more than 10.
The office of SA Premier Steven Marshall referred inquiries to police.
Mass rallies around the world, sparked by the death of Mr Floyd as he was being restrained by officers in Minneapolis on May 25, have in some cases descended into chaos with violence between protesters and police. Others have been peaceful but involved large crowds when people are still being urged to social distance due to the pandemic.
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Thursday had his charges upgraded to second-degree murder, while his former colleagues – Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane – were charged with aiding and abetting murder in the second degree.
Ms Wanganeen encouraged people to attend on Saturday in a show of solidarity and strength for black communities.
“There seems to be a shift in the way people are thinking about these issues and it seems to be a positive shift. There are more people standing up and going ‘This is wrong’,” she said.
“I see this as such a beautiful opportunity to get everybody else who’s affected by what’s happened to George Floyd and his family over there, and all the black communities over there, to have a massive look at this place and how we get treated here because we need to change it.
“We want peace in this country. We want respect in this country and to get that everybody needs to admit they’ve allowed this stuff to carry on and they will make a conscious decision to stop this.”
Ms Wanganeen urged attendees to engage in a “nonviolent, passionate protest”.
“There’s a very big difference between passionate and strong, and angry. Bring your passion, bring your strength but leave your anger,” she said. “Just listen. You don’t have to throw things about. You don’t have to smash things and burn things.”
Ms Wanganeen said protesters needed to apply common sense: “Take the proper precautions – wear your masks, your gloves – we will have people on standby with sanitiser so we are taking as many precautions as we can to facilitate the numbers.”