‘Just stand up and do it’: Meet the people behind Darwin’s upcoming Black Lives Matter protest

LARRAKIA women Sharna Alley and Mililma May know they will face a backlash for organising a rally against Aboriginal deaths in custody and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests across the world

Organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest in Darwin this weekend, Sharna Alley, left, and Mililma May. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

LARRAKIA women Sharna Alley and Mililma May know they will face backlash for organising a rally against Aboriginal deaths in custody and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests across the world.

But the cousins, both aged 21, are doing it anyway because, as Ms May said: “at some point we had to realise it was our respobnsibillity to step up and follow in our ancestors and how they fought”.

“No one else is doing this, just get up and do it.”

MORE TOP NT NEWS

Darwin drug criminal booted back to Greece after fleeing police raid on pushbike

High Court overrules longer sentence for NT drug dealer

Business booms across the Territory after Stage Three restrictions lift

The event, which is set to take place on Saturday at Parliament House, has attracted the interest of about 1400 people on Facebook.

It comes after protests around the country drew crowds in the tens of thousands over the weekend.

“I’ve been crying watching all the videos,” Ms May said.

“It takes an emotional toll on all of us seeing that much unity and seeing what we’re all capable of when we all come together,” added Ms Alley.

The pair also organised the Darwin protest following the shooting death of Yuemdumu teenager Kumanjayi Walker last year.

However, they said the most recent swell of protests felt like a turning point.

“There have probably been people who have woken up and been absolutely devastated and disgusted by what’s happening in the US and didn’t even realise that was happening in Australia,” Ms May said.

“Now there are more people starting to wake up.”

Sharna Alley and Mililma May ... ‘We hope it inspires other Aboriginal people to know they have a voice and to know they can stand their ground,’ said Ms May (right). Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

Ms Alley said she wanted her son to grow up in Darwin and not experience racism.

“We want to see change in Darwin and we want our fellow people living in Darwin and our allies and non-indigenous people to understand where we’re coming from and hear us out,” said Ms Alley.

But politics aside, the cousins said they wanted the event to be a time for Aboriginal Terriotrians to be together.

NEW OFFER: Get amazing Sennheiser earbuds (RRP: $499) with NT News subscription deal

“We hope it inspires other Aboriginal people to know they have a voice and to know they can stand their ground,” Ms May said.

“A lot of people have said to us ‘why are you having it on a day where no one will be in Parliament House?’

“Our response to those people is ‘this is for us and not for them’.”

“This is for our healing and our unity and being together and standing in solidarity together.”