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Coronavirus live updates: Black Lives Matter protests across Australia as China warns of Covid-linked 'racial violence' overseas Coronavirus live updates: Black Lives Matter protests across Australia as China warns of Covid-linked 'racial violence' overseas
(32 minutes later)
Beijing warns citizens against travel to Australia; UK is second country to pass 40,000 Covid-19 deaths; Sweden has 1,000 new cases for third day runningBeijing warns citizens against travel to Australia; UK is second country to pass 40,000 Covid-19 deaths; Sweden has 1,000 new cases for third day running
Hello everyone, Luke Henriques-Gomes, taking over the blog from Josh Taylor. Thanks Josh.
Protesters in Sydney have begun marching from Town Hall to Belmore Park.
As they turned from Bathurst Street into Castlereagh Street, they paused to “take a knee”.
Here’s the latest on global coronavirus news:
Australia’s deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, has said warnings by China that its citizens are not safe from racial attacks related to the coronavirus pandemic in Australia are based on “false information”
Tens of thousands of people have turned out for Black Lives Matter protests in cities across Australia, including in Sydney after an appeals court ruled the protest lawful
Germany reported 407 new cases of coronavirus, while India overtook Italy in the number of confirmed cases and South Korea reported 51 new cases
The G20 has pledged $21bn to fight coronavirus
The Australian state of Victoria recorded no new cases of coronavirus for the first time since the pandemic began, but one Melbourne man who travelled to Bundaberg has tested positive in Queensland
The mood at Melbourne’s Black Lives Matter protest was at times mournful and often angry.
Many speakers told the crowd – which stretched a block in each direction – that Australia had a shameful history that continued to this day – pointing to the 434 First Nations people who have died in police custody since the 1991 royal commission.
Worse though was that it had taken the tragic death of an African American man, George Floyd, to draw attention to the plight of Indigenous Australians in this country.
“It’s the same story on different soil,” Ky-ya Nicholson-Ward, 17, said of what has been happening in the US and in her own country.
The speakers, who included family members of Indigenous people who had died in custody or from police actions such as Tanya Day and Kumanjayi Walker, led chants including “We can’t breathe” and “Black lives matter”. Another chant involved those at the rally hitting their chests in unison to create the sound of a heartbeat.
Warren Day, the son of Tanya, said: “It took George Floyd, an African American man, to put the spotlight on Australia’s shame.
“Four-hundred and thirty-two Aboriginal deaths in custody since 1991 and still no convictions.
“We need change and it needs to start happening now,” he added.
Those in the crowd, easily in the tens of thousands, almost all wore masks but struggled to social distance close to the stage. They carried placards with messages such as “We hear you”, “Racism is a pandemic” and “Fuck the police”.
One of the organisers, Meriki Onus, said it was one of the largest protests she had seen in the city, including the massive Invasion Day rallies that have grown in size each 26 January.
When African Australian artist Sampa The Great took to the stage to perform two songs with her younger sister, the rally briefly began to move as one. Some danced. Black lives matter, she said, “because I woke up black today, and I’m going to wake up black tomorrow”.
With that, the crowd turned on its heels and marched away from Parliament House.
Leetona Dungay, the mother of Indigenous Australian man David Dungay who died in prison in 2015, is now addressing the Sydney crowd.Leetona Dungay, the mother of Indigenous Australian man David Dungay who died in prison in 2015, is now addressing the Sydney crowd.
She talks about how her son died while saying “I can’t breathe” – like George Floyd. Dungay said he couldn’t breathe 12 times before he died while being restrained by five prison guards at Long Bay jail hospital.She talks about how her son died while saying “I can’t breathe” – like George Floyd. Dungay said he couldn’t breathe 12 times before he died while being restrained by five prison guards at Long Bay jail hospital.
The crowd hushes to hear her.The crowd hushes to hear her.
She ends by saying black lives matter, to applause.She ends by saying black lives matter, to applause.
The crowd is again chanting “I can’t breathe”.The crowd is again chanting “I can’t breathe”.
In Sydney, a police officer has told the Guardian they’ve received orders in line with the court of appeal decision, and are now treating this as a legal protest they are facilitating.In Sydney, a police officer has told the Guardian they’ve received orders in line with the court of appeal decision, and are now treating this as a legal protest they are facilitating.
Druitt Street and much of George Street are now closed.Druitt Street and much of George Street are now closed.
The same police officer told the Guardian he estimated about 4,000 people are at the protest.The same police officer told the Guardian he estimated about 4,000 people are at the protest.
Police are making efforts to spread protesters out onto the now cleared roads.Police are making efforts to spread protesters out onto the now cleared roads.
Protesters are observing space between each other, but the size of the protest has swelled so much that the 4 square metres/1.5 metres around each person appears unfeasible.Protesters are observing space between each other, but the size of the protest has swelled so much that the 4 square metres/1.5 metres around each person appears unfeasible.
The court of appeal decision will not be published until next week.The court of appeal decision will not be published until next week.
AP reports India surpassed Italy as the sixth worst-hit country in the coronavirus pandemic after another biggest single-day spike in confirmed infections.AP reports India surpassed Italy as the sixth worst-hit country in the coronavirus pandemic after another biggest single-day spike in confirmed infections.
The health ministry reported 9,887 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 236,657.The health ministry reported 9,887 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 236,657.
Most of the new cases are in rural areas following the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who left cities and towns after the lockdown in late March.Most of the new cases are in rural areas following the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who left cities and towns after the lockdown in late March.
The lockdown is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas while authorities have partially restored train services and domestic flights and allowed shops and manufacturing to reopen.The lockdown is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas while authorities have partially restored train services and domestic flights and allowed shops and manufacturing to reopen.
Shopping malls and religious places are due to open on Monday with restrictions to avoid large gatherings.Shopping malls and religious places are due to open on Monday with restrictions to avoid large gatherings.
From the Brisbane, Queensland rally where thousands have turned out, via AAP:From the Brisbane, Queensland rally where thousands have turned out, via AAP:
Here’s how the Sydney protest greeted the news that organisers had been successful in overturning the New South Wales supreme court ruling preventing the protest from going ahead.Here’s how the Sydney protest greeted the news that organisers had been successful in overturning the New South Wales supreme court ruling preventing the protest from going ahead.
More from the Melbourne rally, via AAP:More from the Melbourne rally, via AAP:
The New South Wales court of appeal has overturned a supreme court decision preventing a Black Lives Matter rally from going ahead in Sydney today.The New South Wales court of appeal has overturned a supreme court decision preventing a Black Lives Matter rally from going ahead in Sydney today.
The protest will now proceed starting at 3pm.The protest will now proceed starting at 3pm.
The Melbourne rally is very big, but lots of social distancing is going on.The Melbourne rally is very big, but lots of social distancing is going on.