Black Lives Matter rally fills Alfred Deakin Place

ABOUT three-hundred and fifty people have turned out for a Black Lives Matter event in Alfred Deakin Place on Camp Street this afternoon.

Attendees heard from a range of speakers with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and African Australian experiences with racism and the criminal justice system.

“This is not a battle of white versus black, this is not a battle of race verse race,” said Wadawurrung woman and traditional owner Macaylah Johnson. “This a battle of everyone against racism and discrimination, specifically targeting our black brothers and sisters.

“Gathered here today we reflect on all the injustices our peoples have faced and continue to face daily.

“Today’s protest is silent, as our actions of standing here in solidary speak in bolder measures than hateful words.”

Magbul Abraham spoke about his experiences as an African Australian and his belief that Black Lives Matter movement was going to make a difference.

“Racism is a tool used to supress our people of human rights,” he said. “It puts a target on my back. It allows me to be racially profiled.

“At the age of 10 I was walking home from school, a car drove past and yelled out racial slurs such as ‘go back to your country nigger’… as they drove off and I ran straight home to my mum and told her what happened. She told me that it’s normal around here. From that day forward I learned how to supress my emotions.

“We’ll never be recognised as citizen here until we are first recognised as humans.

“This movement isn’t a trend it’s history in the making.”

Lunorphare Folly told attendees that the events that lead to the recent resparking of Black Lives Matter campaign in America often happen here.

“For may years those same events have been occurring here in Australia hidden in plain sight,” he said.

“The Aboriginal community are massively over represented in the criminal justice system.

“There has been 432 Indigenous Australians die while in police custody since 1991, and yet there has not been a single conviction of any of those officers. Is that systematic racism or is that neglect in our so called justice system?”

Along with the speakers the gathering heard the names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who had died as a result of interactions with police services across Australia, a smoking ceremony, and music.