- The Prime Minister has criticised an upcoming Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally planned for Sydney, as it’s against current COVID-19 mass gathering rules
- Scott Morrison told talkback station 2GB the planned rally was ‘appalling’ and those planning to attend would be breaking the law
- NSW has banned mass gatherings during COVID-19, however, pubs, restaurants, cafes and other public places are open and allowed to operate
- The state’s Police Commissioner has also warned attendees that they may face legal action
- Meantime, this is the second time the PM has denounced the wider BLM movement
- He also said Australia didn’t have a history of slavery like the U.S., which caused controversy amongst academics
The Prime Minister has criticised an upcoming Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally planned for Sydney, as it breaks the current COVID-19 restrictions regarding mass gatherings.
Scott Morrison told Sydney talkback station 2GB the planned anti-racism gathering was ‘appalling’.
“What gives people a ticket to not obey the law?” he said.
“Where the police and where the State Government has said that there is a mass gathering that can’t go ahead, well people should obey the law,” he added.
NSW has banned concerts and other mass gatherings as a result of the pandemic, however, pubs, cafe and restaurants are still allowed to operate.
Even weddings are still being held in the state, though a recent uptick in cases prompted the State Government to impose new restrictions.
Only 150 people are allowed at weddings, and 100 people at church services or funerals.
The organisers of the planned anti-racism rally, which is set to take place next week, say those attending will socially distance and wear masks, in order to stay safe.
However, Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has urged the public not to join the rally and flagged possible legal action.
Meantime, this isn’t the first time the Prime Minister has spoken out against the BLM movement.
When it began gaining traction more than a month ago, Mr Morrison stated it wasn’t applicable to Australia, as we didn’t have a history of slavery the same way America did.
His comments were slammed by historians, as well as some activists and politicians.
“Slavery of indigenous, men, women and children is well-documented,” said Monash University’s professor Sharman Stone in a recent interview.
“Slaves worked in pearling, fishing, the pastoral industries and as domestic labour,” she added.
If the PM doesn’t know that slavery existed in Australia surely it’s time to update the curriculum 😳
— Emma Husar (@emma_husar) June 11, 2020
Blissfully ignorant or completely uneducated?#auspol #ScottyFromMarketing #slavery
Former Labor MP Emma Husar also weighed in at the time, calling for better history education in schools.