Police have arrested six people, including organiser Paddy Gibson, at a Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney.
Key points:
- Protesters at the Black Lives Matter protest were demanding justice for David Dungay Jnr
- The Dunghutti man died while in custody at Long Bay Jail in 2015
- Six people were arrested at the march after it was ruled unlawful amid COVID fears
Five of those arrested were handed penalty infringement notices.
Mr Gibson was put in the back of a police vehicle before the rally was due to start at 12: 00pm.
After he was fined $1,000 for breaching a public health order, Mr Gibson was whisked into State Parliament through the back entrance by Greens MP Jenny Leong.
Police Commissioner Mick Willing said it was unfortunate that people had to be arrested, and he urged protesters to stop breaching public health orders.
“As we said all along, we are not anti the right to protest. This is about public safety. At the end of the day, we are in the middle of a pandemic,” he said.
“The Supreme Court judge himself described the current situation in New South Wales as being on a knife’s edge.”
Organisers have confirmed their intention to meet again outside State Parliament at 3: 00pm.
The rally was ruled unlawful by the NSW Supreme Court on