Black Lives Matter Supporters Rallying in Australia
HOLMES: Welcome back. Cities across the world where people are gathering to protest the killing of George Floyd, it's also sparking a much wider movement against police brutality in general and plenty of local issues in that regard. Some protesters bringing up cases in their countries that they say are strikingly familiar and similar to the George Floyd case. Protesters in Australia, they have already started to gather for rallies in support of Black Lives Matter. And a rally in Sydney going ahead as a court ruled to overturn a previous protest ban because of social distancing rules. Let's get a sense of what those protests look like right now. Journalist Angus Watson joins me now live from Sydney. Angus, good to see you. And Australia is a case in point, where local issues are really sort of a dominating factor. There is a big issue with police relations with indigenous Australians.</s>ANGUS WATSON, JOURNALIST: Absolutely, Michael, these protests here today are inspired by what's happening in the U.S. People are hyper aware of that. And they are very supportive of that. But here we have our own issues in Australia as you know; 432 indigenous people have died in police custody over the last</s>WATSON: So people here are, about 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 people here in Central Sydney, angry about that, they want their voices heard, they feel like there has not been any conviction, there has not been any justice. These protests in Sydney here today are matched across the country in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and other centers. People saying that they're angry, they're fed up and they want to be heard.</s>HOLMES: I want to ask you to about obviously Australia has fared comparatively well compared to the U.S. with coronavirus. But that was an issue when allowing these protests to go ahead.</s>WATSON: Absolutely. Yesterday you had the premier of New South Wales say that these protests should not go ahead, the police commissioner said they should not go ahead, the prime minister of Australia said they should not go ahead. And the New South Wales</s>HOLMES: Good to have you there on the spot, Angus Watson, appreciate it there in Sydney. There also demonstrations around Australia, appreciate you being with us. Now in the U.S. we have seen police officers bridge the divide with protesters by taking a knee, even dancing sometimes. Taking a knee a symbolic gesture of solidarity that has now been adopted by at least one world leader. CNN's Paula Newton reports.</s>PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been a day of protests right across Canada. People took to the streets in multiple cities, thousands, really denouncing racism, not just from what they've seen in the United States but systemic racism that they say exists right here in Canada. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau made an unexpected visit to the Ottawa protest, even taking a knee, which was a very powerful image on the streets even as some people denounced his actions earlier in the week, when it took him 21 seconds to decide whether or not he would denounce the actions of U.S. president Donald Trump. But at the prime's minister side was one of his cabinet ministers, Ahmed Hussen, who has spoken so forcefully and eloquently about his own struggles with racism in Canada. I want you to take a listen.</s>AHMED HUSSEN, CANADIAN MP: I think it's pretty powerful when you have the head of government coming and listening and taking a knee and being there and applauding when people say black lives matter. And I agree with him completely. All lives will not matter until Black Lives Matter, it's just that simple. And people need to understand that. When people say Black Lives Matter, they're not saying that other lives don't matter; they're saying that black lives matter, too.</s>NEWTON: As powerful and symbolic a gesture as it may have been, many Canadians have been demanding this week that they get the systemic change that they have been asking for. And not just for the black community and other minorities but with indigenous peoples. Two shocking, violent events this week alone in Canada, between law enforcement and indigenous peoples, have absolutely shocked the country. And for that reason they are looking to the Trudeau government to make those systemic changes that have been promised for so long -- Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.</s>HOLMES: Protests flared up again Friday in Mexico's second largest city after a 30-year-old man died in police custody last month. Authorities trying to clamp down on the growing anger but the protesters are not backing down. Matt Rivers with their story and a warning: some of the images are graphic.</s>MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jivani (ph) Lopez was arrested the night of May 4th, video of the scene outside of Guadalajara, Mexico, shows the 30-year-old struggling with police. People nearby can be heard saying the police arrested him because he wasn't wearing a face mask, though authorities say he was detained not because of mask issues but for, quote, "acting violent," without giving more detail. "You can't treat him like that," somebody nearby shouts at police. "If you kill him, we know you." The next day, Jivani was dead. Authorities would only say he died in police custody. They won't say how it happened and police have not answered our request for comment. They have arrested 3 people, including one cop. But a month later, people are still angry. Peaceful protests against police brutality Thursday in Guadalajara turned violent. Police vehicles were destroyed, set alight or smashed in; protesters brawled with police in the streets, as some sprayed "asesinos," "murderers" on government buildings.</s>RIVERS (voice-over): But the enduring images from the day will be this, police officer standing in the street when someone comes up, pours liquid on his back and sets him on fire. He runs away and his colleagues try and put out the flames. He is alive but he has severe burns across his body. The video will likely take away from the message millions of Mexicans have tried to send for decades. They are tired of abuse from police. Jivani Lopez perhaps just the latest example of many -- Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.</s>HOLMES: We will be right back after the break.