Outrage as 30,000 defy COVID-19 restrictions for Brisbane Black Lives Matter protests
As COVID-19 restrictions continue to cripple Queensland’s economy, a 30,000-strong crowd that turned out in Brisbane for Black Lives Matter protests has sparked fury from embattled local businesses.
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A HEAVING 30,000-strong crowd has sparked fury from embattled tourism operators, club bosses, restauranteurs and funeral directors slamming the decision to allow the mass protest as COVID-19 restrictions continue to cripple the Queensland economy.
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At a time when Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to reopen the state border, groups of only 20 can gather in clubs, pubs and restaurants and funerals are restricted to 50 mourners, business owners and leaders slammed the State Government’s handling of the Black Lives Matter rally that organisers said attracted 30,000 people as an outrage.
After months of personal exhortations to be Covid-safe, Ms Palasczczuk on Saturday left her health minister and deputy Steven Miles to do the talking, concentrating on defending the tourism-crippling lockdown after announcing a new Covid case from a man who flew from Victoria then onto a Bundaberg hostel and farm.
The rally was largely peaceful, apart from a group that grafittied the South Brisbane police station and one man caught on film climbing on top of a police car.
Last night a man identifying himself as Cruz Topai-aveai, a Cronulla Sharks-contracted NRL player, claimed he was the protester in a social media post.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the Premier’s silence had put the health of Queenslanders at risk.
“Why would the Premier give these people a green light and the keys to the city? There’s only one reason – the election is around the corner and Labor needs the preferences of Green fringe-dwellers and that’s why she lets them protest,” Mr Dutton said.
“It’s irresponsible and dangerous and it has put the health of Queenslanders at risk.
“The Health Minister bleats about a backpacker from Victoria and yet lets thousands protest during a pandemic. This Government has lost the plot.”
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles defended the decision not to shut down the rally, saying a protest by anti-vaxxers had gone ahead last week without the same outcry.
“We are a free society where we have a long tradition of people being able to speak their minds, express their political viewpoints. That’s particularly important in Queensland where that was suppressed for a very, very long time. What we have said here is that we would prefer people not to go and express their protests in other ways. But if they do go, then the health advice that we have consistently provided remains the same. That is that they should keep 1.5m distance between groups.”
He likened it to rules around visiting shopping centres or a park.
“There can be thousands at parks. As long as they maintain social distancing,” he said.
Clubs Queensland president Terry McDonald described the restrictions on business in the face of the mass gathering as “outrageous”.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that we’re restricted to 20 people in each zone and yet they’re allowing 30,000 people packed into King George flouting public gathering and social distancing restrictions,” Mr McDonald said.
“The protesters who are disobeying the law are getting off scot-free, while everyone else who is respecting the law gets punished. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander.”
Mr McDonald, who is president of the Nerang RSL Club which remains closed, feared the mass protest could lead to fresh COVID-19 outbreak and force another harsh lockdown.
“If there are no new cases as a result of this protest, people will be demanding to know, why the hell are we still closed down?” he said.
A leading Gold Coast hotelier said the protest has ‘completely blown apart her (Palaszczuk’s) argument’ about keeping the border closed.
“It’s a bloody joke - it could undo all the hard work and set us back three months,” he said.
“We get that the lockdown had to happen and supported it 100 per cent but it’s just been one inconsistent message after another from the government and we’ve lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s killing us.
“I understand why people want to protest but this could have been handled so much better.”
Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive officer Daniel Gschwind said the rally treatment had appeared “inconsistant”.
“Clearly it raises eyebrows when people adhere to very strict rules but there seem to be different rules in different circumstances,” he said.
Funeral Directors Association Queensland president Wes Heritage said he hoped the protest would not lead to another COVID-19 outbreak and fresh restrictions being imposed.
“We’ve nursed grieving families through the tough restrictions on funerals and now we’re really happy to where we’ve got to - we don’t need a backward step,” he said.
“We’ve been so strict and successful and would hate to see this protest create an issue that imposes further restrictions on families.”
Simon Gloftis, who owns leading Brisbane restaurants Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster, said he was ‘fine’ with the protest but just wanted to be able to reopen his businesses.
“I don’t have a problem with the protest - just open the rest (of the state),” he said.
“We’re ready to open and raring to go.”
Despite the massive crowd, the rally itself was peaceful except for one small group that graffitied the South Brisbane police station and one man who climbed onto a police vehicle.
Well-known Indigenous activist Adrian Burragubba addressed the crowd at the rally in King George Square with a 14-point plan for change.
The Wangan and Jagalingou man called for police to be compelled to speak out against corrupt policing if they see it.
Mr Burragubba said Indigenous youths should also be released from custody.
“If you’re black in the street, the cops will kick you and bash you and lock you up.”
Other speakers told the crowd the rally was not only about the death of George Floyd in the US but oppression of Indigenous people by successive governments.
Another speaker told the crowd: “When we leave here today, this is just the start... it’s a long way to go... it takes more courage to follow and listen and have faith than it does to lead, everyone of you that came here showed courage”.
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