Black Lives Matter Sydney protesters arrested
Six Black Lives Matter protesters including the organiser were taken into custody at the illegal Sydney rally at The Domain on Tuesday.
NSW
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The illegal Black Lives Matter protest was over before it started with six people taken into custody, including three even before its scheduled start time.
Groups of protesters arrived at The Domain parklands half an hour before the protest was scheduled to start at midday.
Organiser Paul Silva said protesters were told by police on Wednesday morning they would be fined even if they were following the public health order which restricts groups of more than 20 people.
“What he stated was unlawful. We are not breaking any laws. The current law states that if we are in groups of 20 1.5 meters apart we are not breaking any laws,” he said.
Tensions between protesters and police quickly rose with officers telling protesters to leave.
Five of the arrested six people - three men and three women - were fined $1,000 for breaching the public health act.
Rally organiser Padraic “Paddy” Gibson was the first person taken into custody.
“Justice for David Dungay. We will not stop until the guards are charged,” he shouted.
“Charge the guards who killed David Dungay.”
He was fined $1,000 for his role in the protest.
Mr Gibson, an academic, told another protester to get people out of the park as he was put in the back of a large police van.
Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, who was later taken into custody, grabbed the microphone off Mr Gibson and told protesters to leave.
She was also fined $1,000 and accused police of only fining “black people”.
“You guys won’t get fined,” she said to reporters.
“You all aren’t exercising 1.5m so I’d split. You guys won’t get fined.
“Sorry black people get fined. I get it.”
She wore a Aboriginal flag face mask and initially told The Daily Telegraph she was not protesting.
Another man, waving an Aboriginal flag, screamed at police as he was escorted to another police van.
“This is against the native title act,” he said.
Assistant Police Commissioner Mick Willing said police will remain at The Domain and near parliament house to quash any further protests on Wednesday.
“These things are published on Facebook and other mediums. We don’t know who will turn, and at what time, but we are prepared for anything. We will have sufficient resources,” he said.
“Please don’t (attend another protest on Wednesday). At the end of the day we said before that we will be issuing infringement notices. We will be making arrests, we did not want to do that, we had to do that.
“Find another way to express your views. Deal with your issues outside of this period.”
Assistant Commissioner Willing said if people believe they were wrongfully arrested, they should dispute the charge in court.
“They were arrested for a reason and those people issued with infringement notices can have those dealt with at court at a later date if they wish to do so,” he said.