After peaceful #BLM marches in major Australian cities, cops mace protestors in Sydney's central station

[Jintor]

Australia had lots of solidarity #BlackLivesMatter marches today in most major cities; Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra (and many anciliary places, Newcastle, Wagga Wagga etc). Sydney's was the most perilous - the Federal Court said the protest didn't have permission yesterday night on public health grounds (we're still in Covid-19 restrictions on outdoor gatherings here), but an emergency plea on appeal got that overturned by the state Supreme Court 15 minutes before the march started (of course thousands of protestors turned up anyway) so the march became legal (or at least nobody was going to get fined and arrested for turning up)




About an hour ago reports, video, images emerging of cops macing protestors in Sydney's Central Station




Up in 'police state' QLD cops were handing out masks to protestors, here in Sydney they kettled people trying to get home into the stuffy underground bit of Central with poor ventilation (I walked through it every day when I had to train in to the city, and still pass through the main terminal on my way to work) and then maced the shit out of them. What the fuck?

This is days after a cop went mental on a 16 year old indigenous kid (probably from the same station, it's just up the road from Central station) (video) and the state police minister said the cop was just having a 'bad day'. WTF NSW Police. A perfectly peaceful day of protesting then they pull this shit.

 

[Deleted member 17990]

edit: removed

 

[Mekanos]

acab means all cops are bastards (globally) and australian cops're also bastards

(I really strained on that second one)

 

[Puroresu_kid]

The police have an inherent condition where they must hurt people.

 

[danm999]

Yeah once they fought so hard in the Courts to stop it in Sydney I knew they'd cause trouble regardless of how protestors acted.

Couldn't even be nice for a week just to keep up appearances.

 

[darkwing]

damn, so they were waiting for them in the terminals to trap the protestors? what the

 

[Mendrox]

There goes NSW's record of zero COVID-19 community transmission's in the past week, feel's like a waste.

This is what's going to start the second wave, it's for a good cause but it's just frustrating how we just reached 0 transmissions the whole week and it's going to start up again.

Click to shrink...

That is your main problem? Of course it's frustrating, but people wear masks as you can see so it doesn't have to be bad at all. What is worse is racist shit and it's more important to call it out.

 

[Deleted member 5086]

There goes NSW's record of zero COVID-19 community transmission's in the past week, feel's like a waste.

This is what's going to start the second wave, it's for a good cause but it's just frustrating how we just reached 0 transmissions the whole week and it's going to start up again.

Click to shrink...

Really?

 

[Deleted member 17990]

edit: removed

 

[NotVeryFriendly]

Really?

Click to shrink...

That sort of attitude has been prevalent in Ireland too. Earlier in the week there was a very well-attended Black Lives Matter protest in Dublin (image below outside of the American Embassy), and it's been pretty disgusting how divisive it has been received.

There has been quite a large outcry (both online and in the media) of 'well the reason for the protest is good but it's wrong to hold the protest because of COVID rates...' with the organisers being investigated by Gardaí for breaking COVID regulations regarding social gatherings (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cri...e-black-lives-matter-dublin-protest-1.4270112).

It's been pretty disgusting to see the condemnation of the protests in national media and local social media channels. It seems people don't quite understand that although the threat of COVID is real, the systemic racism prevalent within our (global) society is one which has been threatening (and ending) the lives of minorities for centuries, and it's far beyond time for action to be taken to stand up to the much larger threat of institutional racism.

The video in the OP is incredibly tough to watch. All involved (i.e. the police) should be prosecuted.

 

[The Crimson Knight]

There goes NSW's record of zero COVID-19 community transmission's in the past week, feel's like a waste.

This is what's going to start the second wave, it's for a good cause but it's just frustrating how we just reached 0 transmissions the whole week and it's going to start up again.

Click to shrink...

COVID-19 is a black issue. It is with all of the imperative to bring reform to the way black people access and are given healthcare, economic discrepancies, and food availability, the age bracket differences when it comes to being classified as high risk to chronic illness, the fact that something like COVID-19 is possible because of a worldwide decimation of the eco-system, when all this time, First Nation people have been saying to protect Country. People haven't listened, the world is facing some devastating consequences because of that, and you still want to silence black voices? When we have a nation's attention like this, no way we giving up our space. We're gonna take up all the space. And we'll make you listen.

 

[seldead]

I guess I changed the subject sorry.

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What about the deluge of people returning to pubs, restaurants and gyms? The restrictions in most states are easing up. With the criticism I'm seeing online about this rally you'd think people literally hadn't left their house but to check the mailbox for months.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Of course it happens in NSW.

Slowly overtaking QLD as australia's shithole.

 

[Bishop89]

Happy to see some civil protesting to shine light on BLM.
Downside, that definitely does not look like social distancing so COVID-19 cases will probably rise again.
Plus side, at least that means my work will probably make me stay home even longer 👌

Cops are assholes, nsw police/govt are awful, news at 11