People take part in a protest over the death of George Floyd in Canberra Australia June 5 2020 Photo by Liu ChangchangXinhuaA university student told Xin
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia (Xinhua) — As thousands of Australians marched in solidarity with U. S. protesters this week, highly visible were the red, yellow and black of the Australian Aboriginal flags, proudly displayed by many in the crowd.
Since the first contact with the British 250 years ago, Australia’s First Nations Peoples (The term Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is preferred by many as First Nations of Australia) have endured devastating violence and oppression, from mass killings at the hands of early settlers, through the Stolen Generations of last century, to more recent deaths while in the custody of police.
The treatment of Indigenous people is a wound which despite many flawed attempts at „reconciliation,“ Australia has never been able to heal, and has now been agitated by occurrences in the United States.
One of those who attended a Sydney protest this week, university student Eloise Walsh told Xinhua that the events in America were a catalyst to refocus on Australia’s own issues.
„I don’t agree 100 percent with what’s happening, the looting and everything, but all the peaceful protests that you can see is so heartwarming,“ Walsh said.
„And so (we’re here) to spread awareness as well of what has happened in Australia, because I think we can relate.“
Despite making up only 3.3 percent of the Australian population, First Nations Peoples represent roughly 28 percent of the prison population.
