A peaceful protest in solidarity with George Floyd, an African-American man who died as a result of violence in Minneapolis police custody, planned to be held in the Australian city of Sydney has been canceled by the organizers over fear of clashes, media reported on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2020) A peaceful protest in solidarity with George Floyd, an African-American man who died as a result of violence in Minneapolis police custody, planned to be held in the Australian city of Sydney has been canceled by the organizers over fear of clashes, media reported on Monday.
According to the 7News broadcaster, the march was scheduled for Tuesday, with thousands of demonstrators set to attend the nationwide rallies to protest against Floyd's brutal death, as well as the misrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the country's legal system.
According to the Sydney protest organizers, "although Australia is far from where the murder took place, we have a voice," as quoted by the broadcaster.
"This event was meant to be a time for Aboriginal voices to be heard, but due to uncertainty of safety for all involved, we would like to advise a cancellation of the protest. Safety is always priority, and it breaks the hearts of everyone involved to have to cancel this event," the organizers added.
According to the media outlet, rallies in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide are planned to take place on Saturday.
Mass riots hit multiple cities across the United States last week, with demonstrators protesting against police brutality and racism following Floyd's death. The black man was detained in Minneapolis last Monday over allegedly paying for cigarettes with a counterfeit bill. During the arrest, a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed Floyd to the ground with his knee on the man's throat for several minutes as shown in a viral video. Floyd begged the police officer for air until becoming unresponsive. The man died at a local hospital shortly after. The four police officers present on the scene were fired. Derek Chauvin was also charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
