Blak Caucus Protest for First Nations Rights on Gadigal in Sydney in Photos

An impressive crowd gathered on Gadigal land before Sydney Town Hall on Saturday, 7 December, for the Justice for First Nations rally to mark International Human Rights Day, despite the fact that it was pissing down rain, and the humidity was through the roof.

“International Human Rights Day falls on 10 December. First Nations people must recognise that on this land, they have their human rights ripped away from them more than any other race,” said Dunghutti social justice activist Paul Silva.

“We must recognise when the First Fleet landed off these shores, they had directions and orders to make the First Nations people – the Aboriginal people – extinct,” the MC for the event continued.

“For me, and for many other Aboriginal people right across this colonised land known as Australia, we stand firm that the land must be returned to the First Nations people.”

Silva added that there has been a spike in First Nations deaths in custody over the last year. The Guardian reported in mid-November that since January, 22 Aboriginal people had died in the custody of either the NSW Police Force or Corrective Services NSW.

Wiradjuri man Ethan Lyons explained that “we are seeing record breaking numbers this year of women being killed. We are seeing children being locked up as young as 10.”

“We see them killing themselves in gaol because they can’t handle the colonial gaols and systems that oppress them,” The Blak Caucus member continued.

“We see queer and trans mob in gaols being denied access to the health and safety they need and killing themselves and dying because the colony does that to them.”

Sydney Criminal Lawyers was on the ground to show support.