Australian model relives the frightening moment she was forced to barricade herself in her bathroom

An Australian model has opened up on the terrifying moment she was forced to barricade herself in her bathroom when looters smashed their way into her New York apartment block. 

As race riots plague the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd’s horrific death, plus-size model Georgina Burke said she was ‘alone and terrified’ at 4am on Monday when she woke to the sound of rioters breaking through the front door of her building.

The 28-year-old, who is originally from Brisbane but has lived in New York City for 10 years, said feeling the building ‘shaking and vibrating’ was a frightening experience.

Glamorous model Georgina Burke is originally from Brisbane but has lived in New York for ten years

Ms Burke, who lives alone, locked herself in the bathroom, shuddering at the prospect of hoards of strangers bursting into her home

Ms Burke, who lives alone, locked herself in the bathroom, shuddering at the prospect of hoards of strangers bursting into her home

‘I was in shock, I had my parents on my laptop on Facetime while I was getting a play by play of the rioting from my downstairs neighbour,’ she told The Courier-Mail. 

Ms Burke, who lives alone, locked herself in the bathroom, shuddering at the prospect of hoards of strangers bursting into her home.

‘Your mind just screams: “What is going to happen to me? Is this real? Can I wake up from this horrible movie? What would I do to defend myself if ten men came through my door?”,’ she said. 

Luckily she didn’t meet that fate.  

Emergency crews pulled up to the front of the building and the mob dispersed. 

Ms Burke ran outside to find the windows at the entrance to the apartment block completely smashed up. 

People loot a store during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in New York

People loot a store during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in New York

Pictured: Looters storming a store with broken windows in New York City during race riots on June 1

Pictured: Looters storming a store with broken windows in New York City during race riots on June 1

When she asked if a police car could stay out the front of the building as a precaution, she said officers laughed in her face.

‘This isn’t Australia darling, get upstairs and barricade yourself in your apartment,’ she said they told her.

Ms Burke said living in New York – America’s epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic – was terrifying enough without having to endure violent protests.

She described horror scenes on the streets of the city where refrigerators holding the dead bodies of coronavirus victims were in one direction, and the skeletons of burnt businesses were in the other.

Ms Burke said living in New York - the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic - was terrifying enough without having to endure violent protests

Ms Burke said living in New York – the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic – was terrifying enough without having to endure violent protests

Ms Burke, 28, poses in New York. Despite fearing for her life on Monday night, Ms Burke said she supports the protests but doesn't condone violence

Ms Burke, 28, poses in New York. Despite fearing for her life on Monday night, Ms Burke said she supports the protests but doesn’t condone violence

Despite fearing for her life on Monday night, Ms Burke said she supports the protests, but doesn’t condone violence.

It comes as the United States enters its eighth night of widespread outrage, with thousands of people protesting George Floyd’s death in cities across the country. 

The 46-year-old died on May 25th when a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes during an arrest, after a service station attendant accused the black man of paying for cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. 

Black Lives Matter protests have since emerged across the globe, with marches also held in France, Australia and New Zealand. 

Fears of U.S.-style violence on the streets of Australia this weekend as counter-protesters threaten to gatecrash Black Lives Matter rally

Black Lives Matter rallies being held around Australia this weekend could turn ugly and be hijacked by counter-protesters, police fear.

Marches will be held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra on Saturday in the wake of black man George Floyd’s alleged murder at the hands of a white cop in the United States.

The rallies will call for an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody, police brutality and racism in Australia.

More than 400 indigenous Australians have died in police detention since a 1991 Royal Commission into the deaths of Aboriginal people in custody. 

But police in Melbourne fear a 16,000-strong protest outside Parliament House could be gatecrashed by other groups with their own agenda. 

Assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius told reporters on Wednesday that police won't tolerate assaults, vandalism and theft if tensions escalate

Assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius told reporters on Wednesday that police won’t tolerate assaults, vandalism and theft if tensions escalate

Police are on high alert for counter-protests being held in the city, and the potential for the crowd to turn on officers. 

Assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius said on Wednesday police won’t tolerate assaults, vandalism and theft if tensions escalate.  

‘We absolutely understand the sentiment and the anger that lies behind that and we are very keen to support the community in giving a voice to their concerns,’ he said. 

‘We have seen this in previous protests and we’re very much alive to this and this has been factored into our planning.

‘We do respect the right everyone has to protest peacefully and lawfully.’ 

Police are on high alert for counter-protests being held in the city, and the potential for the crowd to turn on officers

 Police are on high alert for counter-protests being held in the city, and the potential for the crowd to turn on officers 

Premier Daniel Andrews said if the protest was not peaceful, police would step in restore order

Premier Daniel Andrews said if the protest was not peaceful, police would step in restore order

Mr Cornelius said the force was committed to working with the Victorian Aboriginal community.

‘I understand from my engagement with local Aboriginal community members that there is a sense of frustration that it takes a death of a black American to highlight the experience of the Aboriginal community here in Australia,’ he said.

‘The events in America certainly do give us an opportunity to reflect on our own community.’ 

Premier Daniel Andrews said if the protest was not peaceful, police would step in restore order.

‘The only form of legitimate protest is a peaceful protest,’ he said. 

‘Victoria Police will not tolerate violence and will not tolerate some of the disorder that we’ve seen overseas.

‘Victoria Police will not tolerate violence, and they will not tolerate some of the disorder that we’ve seen overseas.

‘What we’ve seen happen in the United States is a tragedy and it speaks to many of the differences between our society and the society in the United States.’

But a spokeswoman for Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance, the group behind Saturday’s protest, said police are the biggest threat to peaceful protests. 

‘When the police are coming there, are they going to over-police us like they always do?,’ Apryl Day told Seven News.

A peaceful protest was held in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday night, where no arrests were made and the 3000-strong crowd were well behaved

A peaceful protest was held in Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday night, where no arrests were made and the 3000-strong crowd were well behaved 

Protesters held signs calling for the end of 'white supremacy', police brutality and racism in Australia following violent protests sweeping across the U.S. since Floyd's death last week

Protesters held signs calling for the end of ‘white supremacy’, police brutality and racism in Australia following violent protests sweeping across the U.S. since Floyd’s death last week 

‘We’re not the threats, police are the threats.’ 

A peaceful protest was held in Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday night, where no arrests were made and the 3000-strong crowd was well behaved.

Hordes of passionate protesters chanted ‘I can’t breathe’, ‘always was always will be Aboriginal land’ and ‘black lives matter’ during the demonstration at Hyde Park and Martin Place on Tuesday evening. 

Protesters held signs calling for the end of ‘white supremacy’, police brutality and racism in Australia following violent protests sweeping across the U.S. since Floyd’s death last week.

‘No more black deaths,’ ‘silence is abuse,’ ‘black and indigenous lives matter’ and ‘end police brutality’ were among other placards on display.

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