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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
AP reports India surpassed Italy as the sixth worst-hit by 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.
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.
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:
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:
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 Melbourne rally is very big, but lots of social distancing is going on.
We are expecting a New South Wales court of appeal decision very soon on whether the Sydney Black Lives Matter protest can go ahead.
As you can probably see by the previous posts, the protest is going ahead regardless, but it will just determine what powers police have in fining or arresting people at the protest.
Police have escorted a counter-protester from the steps of Sydney Town Hall.
Police have a large presence around the Town Hall area, but are not asking people to leave or fining anyone.
There appear to be at least 2,000 people here now. And it’s important to note, the protest isn’t meant to begin for another half an hour.
The light rail line across George Street has also now been shut.
Organisers are frantically running around asking people to distance, which is now more feasible as the light rail track space has opened for protesters.
Protesters on the steps are chanting “whose lives matter?” To a response from the crowd “black lives matter”.
Protesters are also shouting “I can’t breath”, a reference to the words of US man George Floyd when he was being retained by a Minneapolis policeman, and died after he put his knee into Floyd’s neck for about 8 minutes.
My other colleague Calla Wahlquist is at the Melbourne rally too and has some information on the cases some of the speakers are talking about.My other colleague Calla Wahlquist is at the Melbourne rally too and has some information on the cases some of the speakers are talking about.
Elias Visontay reports a man holding an “all lives matter” sign in Sydney was booed and taken away by police. Other reports suggest they went to have a talk with him in a nearby chocolate shop.Elias Visontay reports a man holding an “all lives matter” sign in Sydney was booed and taken away by police. Other reports suggest they went to have a talk with him in a nearby chocolate shop.
Looks like most if not all at the Melbourne rally appear to be following the advice of the organisers about wearing a mask.Looks like most if not all at the Melbourne rally appear to be following the advice of the organisers about wearing a mask.
Another Black Lives Matter rally in Byron Bay, on the far north coast of New South Wales.Another Black Lives Matter rally in Byron Bay, on the far north coast of New South Wales.
Just some more information on the Melbourne man who travelled to Bundaberg with coronavirus. The health department in Victoria has provided this information on his travels, confirming he was likely infections on his flight to Queensland:Just some more information on the Melbourne man who travelled to Bundaberg with coronavirus. The health department in Victoria has provided this information on his travels, confirming he was likely infections on his flight to Queensland:
Raul Bassi, the organiser of Sydney’s protest who was told by the NSW supreme court yesterday the rally should not go ahead, is pacing around the Town Hall area telling people to keep to groups of 10 and observe distancing.Raul Bassi, the organiser of Sydney’s protest who was told by the NSW supreme court yesterday the rally should not go ahead, is pacing around the Town Hall area telling people to keep to groups of 10 and observe distancing.
“They need to be in groups of 10 only, it’s very important today,” Bassi told the Guardian.“They need to be in groups of 10 only, it’s very important today,” Bassi told the Guardian.
Bassi is explaining the legal issues with the protest.Bassi is explaining the legal issues with the protest.
Volunteers are also handing out masks and sanitising hands.Volunteers are also handing out masks and sanitising hands.
Protesters are already chanting “no justice no peace”.Protesters are already chanting “no justice no peace”.
My colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes is in Melbourne, Victoria as the Black Lives Matter protest gets under way.
According to AAP, police have lined the steps of the Victorian parliament on foot and horseback, and the atmosphere is peaceful.
People are holding banners with slogans such as “united when all are equal” and “silence is violence”.
The Sydney rally isn’t due to begin for another hour but already hundreds of protesters have gathered.
Many are sitting on the steps of the Town Hall with signs that read “Black Lives Matter”, “I am sorry” and “racism is a pandemic too”.
There is already a noticeable police presence, with officers on foot and bikes.
Thousands have rallied in Adelaide as part of Black Lives Matter protests across Australia on Saturday, AAP reports.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 407 to 183,678, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday.
The reported death toll rose by 33 to 8,646.
Via Reuters.
Via AP:
Local women, Jessica Large, Candice Sharman and Monique Dawson, queued up to have their photo taken with Joe Williams after the protest. They said they came to the protest because “all lives matter”. Large and Sharman are both Indigenous. “I’ve seen a lot shit happen that should not,” Large said. “I wanted to come out today and show my support.”
“My grandfather was Aboriginal, so it means a lot,” said Sharman, who added that she was “devastated” to see the video of the violent arrest of the 16-year-old Aboriginal boy in Sydney this week. “They see everything that’s going on in America, how could they do that here? Australia’s meant to be a free country. I understand he might have been doing something wrong but they have other resources to control people.”
When asked about the Sydney protest being cancelled, Large said: “I understand but at the same time it’s a bit ridiculous, like everyone else was protesting in Melbourne and everywhere else. What does it matter? Really, we’ve had hardly any cases of Covid-19, and we’re only staying in our tight groups and keeping our distance from other people. Unless you’re purposefully getting close to people, there’s no risk.”
They said hearing about the police banning the Sydney protest made them even more determined to come to today’s protest in Wagga. Sharman said: “We were already planning to come but it just made us want to come 100% more.”
Speaking after the Wagga Wagga march, organiser Joe Williams said he thought the march was “beautiful”. He said Wagga Wagga was the “most progressive” community he has ever been involved with and felt hopeful that systemic change could happen. “Every person of authority was here today – the local mayor, the local member, the police – they want to see a change systematically as well, not just locally.”
But he acknowledged the size of the task: “There have been 434 deaths since the royal commission. Royal commissions are supposed to clear these things up. Where are the recommendations then that are coming from the royal commission? What we have to do is look systematically at where the issues are. How are we going to stop killing Aboriginal people in custody? That’s 200 years of oppression, that’s 200 years of mistreatment.”
While the rally organisers in Sydney are appealing the New South Wales supreme court decision to stop the Black Lives Matter protest, the police came out with this strong statement.
Big turnout for the Black Lives Matter rally in Brisbane, Queensland.
Western Australia has recorded one new case of coronavirus and two historical cases.
The new case is another person in hotel quarantine after returning from overseas, while blood tests confirmed a couple who returned overseas in March also had the virus.