Australians Defy Covid Curbs in Black Lives Matter Rallies

(Bloomberg) -- Thousands of Australians gathered in the nation’s major cities to protest racial discrimination against indigenous Australians and to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S.

In Sydney, a ruling to ban the Saturday rally was overturned on appeal just minutes before its scheduled 3 p.m. start. Marchers carried the Aboriginal flag and signs bearings such slogans as “I Can’t Breath” and “Stop Black Deaths,” while the crowd chanted “Black Lives Matter.” Organizers handed out face masks and hand sanitizer.

Similar rallies were underway in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. The protests defy local restrictions that limit the number of people allowed to gather in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Police had sought to block the gatherings in Sydney and Melbourne, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged people not to attend the rallies.

U.S. protests since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police have spread around the world to cities including Frankfurt, Barcelona, Seoul and London. In Australia, demonstrators are also focusing on the death of aboriginal people while in police custody.

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