Australian FM Mathias Cormann lashes out at protesters for mass gatherings amid COVID-19

Australia’s finance minister Mathias Cormann on June 7 launched an attack at demonstrators who gathered in large numbers to protest against the deaths of indigenous people in police custody. Mathias termed the mass protests a selfish and reckless act amid the coronavirus pandemic. Mathias while talking to the media on Sunday said that despite advisories from health authorities to avoid mass gatherings, these protesters assembled in large numbers defying all precautionary measures, which is unacceptable. 

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Mathias said that families were not allowed to see their loved ones who died of COVID-19 and they followed the advice of health authorities and stayed away from funerals, but upon looking at these protesters recklessly demonstrating in large numbers and defying all advisories, it must be awful for them to watch. Mathias called it a self-indulgent and selfish act on part of the protesters who according to him now posses a huge risk to communities. 

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However, the deputy Labour leader Richard Marles lashed out at Mathias saying that indigenous people of Australia have long been facing discrimination in every field, be it education, health or employment, they receive a different treatment than non-indigenous Australians. Marles while talking to the press said that even though he is not comfortable with mass gatherings amid the pandemic, he supports the cause of the indigenous people saying that it is not a selfish and self-indulgent act at all. 

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Aussie PM asks people to not join protests

 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison while admitting that the protests were for a just cause said that there is no need to import problems from other countries as discrimination against indigenous Australians was being dealt with. According to reports, there have been over 400 custodial deaths of indigenous people since 1991, five of which came last year. The protests in Australia and other parts of the world erupted after the killing of an unarmed African-American man George Floyd by a white police officer late last month in Minneapolis. 

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