Bottle thrown: man hauled away in Sydney Black Lives Matter protest
An emotional protest in Sydney today was marred by fiery scenes as activists left the event, with one man hauled away after throwing a bottle at police.
What had been a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney has ended in fiery scenes as police and protesters came face-to-face on Sunday.
A boy, 16, in a red T-shirt was hauled away after he threw an empty soft drink bottle at police officers speaking with event organisers as tensions flared in Hyde Park.
Chants of “let him go” echoed around the iconic park as hundreds of people made their way home after the event in The Domain.
It followed an emotional yet calm gathering, with activists respecting social distancing laws as they highlighted the 434 indigenous Australians who have died in custody since 1991.
There was a heavy police presence but only passing sights of tension during the event.
As the protest got underway families who had experienced a death in custody joined together in a circle for a smoking ceremony said to cleanse their pain. Social distancing briefly went out the window as they stood shoulder to shoulder.
One man was seen being led from the park by police after squaring up with a protester holding an Aboriginal flag.
NSW Police said in a statement no infringement notices for breaches of public health orders were issued before, during or after the protest.
“A 48-year-old man was moved on from the Domain after complaints from protestors about his behaviour, and a 16-year-old boy was removed from the crowd at Hyde Park after he threw a bottle at a police officer,” it said.
“He’s been taken to Day Street Police Station and will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.”
One of the event organisers Paul Silva said he had been fighting for justice for the death of his uncle David Dungay Jr for five years.
Mr Dungay Jr died under the force of five officers at Long Bay jail in 2015. No one was held responsible for the death.
“We take to the streets to demand justice … surely something has got to change,” Mr Silva said.
“Humans are being brutalised and murdered and no one is being held accountable.”
Before the event Mr Silva had confronted a line of police on horseback, yelling down a megaphone: “You’re standing on my ancestor’s graves, you’re s***ting on my ancestors’ graves”.
He said the police had been “very intimidating” and was frustrated about what he called police hypocrisy claiming they were not obliging by social distancing laws.
Earlier event host Gavin Stanbrook criticised the protection of statues honouring colonial Australian figures, including one of “genocidal maniac” former governor Lachlan Macquarie built in Hyde Park in 2013.
Mr Stanbrook said it was erected at a time when authorities “knew what that scumbag did”, including orders allowing the execution of Aboriginal people which sparked the Appin massacre of 1816.
“That man committed genocide, blood is on his hands,” he said. “It‘s a disgrace that statue stands here today.”
Another protester Wes Patten, grandson of famous indigenous journalist and civil rights activist Jack Patten, read to the crowd a speech his grandfather delivered on January 26, 1938.
Showing NCA NewsWire the speech, he said it was still relevant nearly 80 years later.
“Our purpose today is to bring home to the white people of Australia the frightful conditions in which the native aborigines of this continent live,” the speech read.
“We do not wish to be left behind in Australia’s march to progress.
“We say that it is a disgrace to Australia’s name that our people be handicapped by undernourishment and poor education, and then blamed for being backward.”
Trish Levett, of Gerringong, felt the movement was gathering momentum.
“More people are waking up to black deaths in custody,” she said.
“Until the government changes its legislation, We’re not going to back down.”
Mullumbimby woman Inga Lie said she had been marching for Aboriginal justice since she was a teen but felt: “Nothing has changed, it’s getting worse.”
“The difference between here and America, is we don’t hear about the deaths here,” she said
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