Tasmanian Aboriginal leader says new $2 coin is racist

  • Aboriginal leader slams a new $2 coin commemorating Remembrance Day
  • Michael Mansell says the coin is a disgrace because it ignores Aboriginal people
  • He said the coin, released on Wednesday, was a symbol for ‘white supremacy’
  • ‘Coin honours white Australia, black deaths are irrelevant in nation’s memory’
  • The $2 coin was unveiled by the Royal Australian Mint to commemorate soldiers

An Aboriginal leader has slammed the new $2 coin commemorating Remembrance Day, claiming it is racist because it doesn’t pay respect to ‘those killed by white Australia’.

A new coin was unveiled on Wednesday to commemorate Australians killed in war conflict and other military operations.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation’s Michael Mansell branded the coin a national disgrace and a symbol for ‘white supremacy’.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation’s Michael Mansell branded the coin a national disgrace and a symbol for ‘white supremacy’

Mr Mansell, an Aboriginal rights activist, said the coin ignored Aboriginal people who fought in wars and aboriginal people who were killed in the white invasion of Australia.

‘The Government says the coin honours those killed and wounded in armed conflicts,’ he told The Mercury.

‘What they mean is everybody who’s defended white Australia, not those killed by it,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.   

Mr Mansell said the colours of the coin, which featured purple flowers and green rosemary leaves, symbolised white Australian armies only. 

Mr Mansell said the colours of the coin, which featured purple flowers and green rosemary leaves, symbolised white Australian armies only

Mr Mansell said the colours of the coin, which featured purple flowers and green rosemary leaves, symbolised white Australian armies only

'The absence of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander colours makes clear this coin is to honour white Australia and that black deaths are irrelevant in the nation's memory,' Mr Mansell (pictured) said

‘The absence of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander colours makes clear this coin is to honour white Australia and that black deaths are irrelevant in the nation’s memory,’ Mr Mansell (pictured) said

‘The absence of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander colours makes clear this coin is to honour white Australia and that black deaths are irrelevant in the nation’s memory,’ he said.  

When approached about the coin, a Royal Australian Mint spokeswoman said: ‘This Remembrance Day coin is about remembering all Australians including indigenous Australians who have died in war conflict over the past 100 years’.

‘Other themes have been taken into consideration for future releases,’ the spokeswoman said. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk