Indigenous Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs says Australians shouldn’t ‘bury their heads in the sand’ about racism in emotional segment about US protests
- Said Australians can’t ‘bury their heads in the sand’ about racism in own country
- Aboriginal host said death of George Floyd drew parallels with cases in Australia
- African-American man died during an arrest in US city of Minneapolis on May 25
- ‘We have two police officers in Australia currently charged with murder,’ she said
Indigenous Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs has warned Australians cannot ‘bury their heads in the sand’ about racism in their own country in an emotional segment about the US protests.
The broadcaster said the mass demonstrations over the death of African-American man George Floyd were a stark reminder of Indigenous Australians who had lost their lives in police custody.
Addressing the similarities between the two countries, Jacobs also referred to the two police officers charged in the past year with the murder of Aboriginal Australians.
Pictured: Protesters run from tear gas used by police in Washington DC to clear the street near the White House on Monday night
Indigenous Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs has warned Australians cannot ‘bury their heads in the sand’ about racism in their own country
‘A lot of people here over the weekend – I’ve heard them say lucky we are to live in Australia,’ Jacobs said on Tuesday.
‘I quickly thought well it’s not so lucky for 420 families who have had loved ones die in custody since 1991 in Australia.’
She mentioned the case of Joyce Clarke, 29, who was allegedly shot dead by a police officer on a street in Geraldton in mid-western Western Australia last September.
A policeman is also accused of shooting dead Kumanjayi Walker, a 19-year-old Aboriginal man, during a botched arrest in the Northern Territory in November.
‘I have the utmost respect for police for authorities in general – they are keeping us safe during the pandemic,’ Jacobs said.
Mother-of-one Joyce Clarke, 29, was shot on a street in the Geraldton suburb of Karloo in WA’s Mid West region at 6.30pm on September 17, 2019
‘It’s important though we don’t live under a cloud and we don’t bury our heads in the sand or are ignorant – we have two police officers in Australia currently who are charged with murder.’
It comes as Australia marks National Reconciliation Week, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and encourages different cultures to learn about their shared histories.
‘All we can hope for – especially during reconciliation week – is we have a chance to respect each other not for the colour of their skin but the way they would want to be treated,’ Jacobs said.
On Monday, a day of peaceful protests in New York gave way to reports of looting at Manhattan businesses, including the Macy’s flagship store.
Clashes between police and protesters broke out in many other cities including Minneapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia and in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, where two people were fatally shot and at least 60 others were arrested.
In Buffalo, New York, shocking video showed police confronting a group of protesters in the street before a car rammed into officers. Officials said two people were injured in that incident.
Meanwhile, an active duty military police battalion is making its way to the nation’s Capitol to help patrol the streets.
A policeman is accused of murdering Kumanjayi Walker, a 19-year-old Aboriginal man, during a botched arrest in the Northern Territory
George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on Memorial Day as he was arrested by four police officers over allegedly trying to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. He was seen in a video pleading that he couldn’t breathe as white officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck