George Floyd US protests: Sydney Black Lives Matter activists march

Australia’s Black Lives Matter activists have marched through Hyde Park wearing masks reading “I Can’t Breathe”, the dying words of US man George Floyd, who was killed by police.

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They were inspired to protest by the events in America, but thankfully there was no violence during a protest in Sydney on Tuesday night.

Hundreds of people ignored the cold weather to march through the city in their own “black lives matter’’ protest against indigenous deaths in custody and police brutality.

Many protesters wore face masks or other mouth coverings emblazoned with the words “I can’t breathe” — now made infamous by George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police sparked the US chaos. The rally in Sydney, organised by the Australian Communist Party, was peaceful.

The protests aimed to bring awareness to the treatment of Indigenous Australians. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Black Lives Matter protesters walked from Hyde Park to Parliament House. Picture: Monique Harmer

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Radio host Rodney Overby told the gathering crowd in Hyde Park the message was simple: “We came here to say, stop killing black people at will. Stop it.

“Indigenous killings are plentiful and it needs to be stopped,” he said.

“I think it’s cool cops aren’t trying to kill us right now, and run us over in SUVs. It’s peaceful. All these different types of people came together, no one is fighting.”

About 50 police officers stood by, as bicycle and horse-mounted police, as well as helicopter patrols, monitored the crowd as it marched from Hyde Park to Parliament House and on to Martin Place.

The protestors said white people must speak out. Picture: Jonathan Ng

There were many signs in the crowd. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Protesters carried signs declaring “black lives matter” and “white silence­ equals violence” and shouted slogans, before stopping for a minute’s silence with raised fists.

Australian Communist Party organiser Keiran Stewart-Assheton said they believed in “supporting the struggle of the masses, and standing up for injustice”.

Protester Sade Fajemisin, who describes herself as mixed race with Jamaican and Nigerian roots, attended­ the rally with Swedish friend Ellen Dahlof.

“I don’t know a lot of black people­. My friends, like Ellen, try and understand,” Ms Fajemisin said.