Black Lives Matter protest allowed to be staged peacefully in Adelaide in 2020 amid Covid-19 shutdown
The Black Lives Matter protest in Victoria Square, Adelaide city, in June 2020.
Image by Patrick Martin, courtesy ABC News, Adelaide.
South Australia, with police commissioner Grant Stevens controlling the Covid-19 state of emergency, took a different approach than other states with Black Lives Matter protests and marches in June 2020, after George Floyd’s death of at the hands of police in the United States of America.
Stevens was criticised for allowing what turned out to be a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Adelaide city’s Victoria Square when the rest of South Australians were required to stay apart, hospital venues were closed and other gatherings prohibited.
Stevens said, in retrospect at the end of the state of emergency in 2022, that he believed in was “the right decision because we saw a safe and respectful protest where, in other places, we saw violence and confrontation between protesters and police, protesters protesting against police violence. I think it was the worst outcome would have been for violent activity in South Australia where police officers had to tackle protesters, and it would have been terrible for South Australia. And I'm glad it didn't happen.”
Stevens issued an exemption allowing a gathering of more than 80 people in a public place for the "one-off, unique situation". He told the ABC (Australia Broadcasting Corporation) in Adelaide that those who attended the rally at Victoria Square in Adelaide's CBD would still need to practise social distancing — and anyone sick should stay away — to prevent the spread of coronavirus: "This is a unique and extraordinary event. There is a sentiment that suggests people should have a right to protest on significant matters. We acknowledge that."
Organiser Natasha Wanganeen welcomed the police commissioner’s announcement, and said she expected protesters to follow social distancing rules. She said personal protective equipment would be on hand at the event: "We're not going to react by burning anything down, we're not about that, we just want everybody to listen to us. We want it to be respectful, peaceful and everybody to be cautious with COVID-19."
The South Australian move came despite earlier advice from prime minister Scott Morrison, who urged people not to attend such rallies, and legal moves by New South Wales police to prevent a similar demonstration in Sydney.
South Australia at that time had no active cases of COVID-19 but the Australian Medical Association) has stressed that precautions should still be taken at the protest.
