Riots brewed in the United States days after Americans started protesting the death of George Floyd, a Black American who died after a white cop knelt on his neck.
Though the cop in question, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, people from different countries have been expressing their displeasure at the gruesome murder.
New Zealanders were not left out as thousands of Kiwis marched out on Monday to peacefully protest Floyd’s death in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington.
The protest happens to be one of the largest protest ever witnessed in central Auckland in many years with protestors overflowing from Aotea Square into Queen St.
In Auckland, organisers of the protest said their aim was to “put pressure on our government from the local level, right up to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to publicly condemn the acts of violence and state-sanctioned murder against African Americans in the United States”.
Before the protest began, the United States flag was removed from the US consulate building but as the protest went on, peace was maintained with just a few police officers sighted at every end.
At around 4.30pm, thousands of protesters converged outside the United States Consulate, knelt down and chanted “Are we next?” and “Black Lives Matter”.
Those who spoke during the protest include Kainee Simone. While speaking, Kainee Simone, who originates from America, urged the public to be suspicious of efforts to arm police in New Zealand, and listen to black, brown and Māori people when they voice out about discrimination.
Also, Mazbou Q, a musician and organiser, revealed that the recent happenings in the US was not just about Floyd but about the ongoing oppression and persecution of black people.
In Wellington, a man protested Floyd’s death by tying himself to the fence of the US Embassy.
Meanwhile the Prime Minister of Zealand, Jacinda Ardern has criticised Black Lives Matter protesters for breaking social distancing rules at a time New Zealand is on the brink of eradicating COVID-19, with only one active case left.
The Prime Minister said she sympathised with the protesters that marched in New Zealand cities on Monday to protest George Floyd’s death but she expressed her concern over the large crowd that took part in the protest. According to her, the large crowd could undermine New Zealand’s success in ending the virus as they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a bid to show their solidarity with US protesters.
While talking to TVNZ, she said: “We are in a global pandemic and I would hate for there to be an outbreak caused by someone who felt really moved to go and share their view to then become ill.
“That’s exactly what we’re trying to prevent… if we had one person, in that crowd (with coronavirus) just think what could happen.”
