CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked people not to break coronavirus social-distancing rules by attending Black Lives Matter protests this weekend, telling them to “find a better way” of expressing themselves.
He said anyone who did attend would put their own health, and the health of others, at risk.
“I say to them don’t go” Mr Morrison said, regurgitating the same Daily Telegraph and Sky News talking points that are mostly opposed to the idea of highlighting Indigenous Deaths In Custody statistics, as opposed to the greater public health concern of protesting during a COVID-19 pandemic.
These comments come as stark contrast to his comments when the far-right conspiracy crowd decided to rally several thousand YouTube users to the state parliaments around Australia to protests 5G less than a month ago – demonstrations that the Prime Minister wrote off as free speech at the time.
While organisers of tomorrow’s march insist that proper social distancing and hygiene measures will in place throughout the protest, both the NSW Police and NSW Premier appear to have also buckled under the pressure of conservative social commentators.
Both Premier Berejiklian and NSW Police Commission Mick Fuller are attempting to have the Black Lives Matter march ruled illegal on a technicality, because the notice of assembly documents for the protest were apparently not signed by every single one the organisers.
They have not mentioned whether or not their opposition to the protest are rooted in their embarrassment over the alleged accusations of police brutality against an Aboriginal teenager in Surry Hills earlier in the week.
However, while the momentum for an authoritarian shut-down of the protests grows – it seems the organisers of the march may have found their own loophole by inviting a Hillsong guitarist on stage to riff some face-melting solos during the official speeches.
“Ahh this changes everything” said Prime Minister Morrison after learning of the developments earlier this afternoon.
“I guess it goes against all my political ideologies to hold one community to a certain set of standards while I move the goal posts for others” he said, in reference to the four-day Hillsong Conference that took place at the height of the pandemic.
After learning that this guitarist might also be wearing a Cronulla Sharks scarf, Morrison appeared to be even more torn over the idea of silencing the protests aimed at highlighting the 430 black deaths in custody that have seen no convictions of police officers in Australia.
“Ok. You win” he said.
“Just, please, none of that ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ chants. It really upsets my voter base”
