Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House in Canberra.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP

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Black Lives Matter Australia live: Scott Morrison calls for demonstrators to be charged

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for people who go to Black Lives Matter rallies planned for this weekend to be charged after a man in his 30s who attended last week's Melbourne protest tested positive for coronavirus.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House in Canberra.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP

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Australian Indigenous groups overwhelmed with support since BLM rallies
Aboriginal-led advocacy groups and not-for-profit organisations are reporting being inundated with donations and messages of support since anti-racism rallies began.

In the past 12 days, more than 25,000 Australians have donated more than $1.5 million to Indigenous rights campaigns on crowdfunding site GoFundMe.

It is just one of many avenues that have been flooded with donations and support amid Black Lives Matter rallies across the world, including in Australia.

You can read more here.

AFL clubs to show BLM solidarity this weekend
In AFL news, Richmond and Collingwood players will take a knee before their clash tonight to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The gesture has been ticked off by both clubs and the AFL as the Victorian rivals relaunch the season after a three-month break.

A player-led initiative, the Tigers and Magpies are determined to take a united stand for the worldwide cause against systemic racism.

It is expected the league's other 16 clubs will display similar shows of unity during the weekend's remaining eight games.

NSW Police heading to Supreme Court to halt refugee rights protest
NSW Police are heading to the Supreme Court for the second time in a week to stop a protest.

NSW Police has lodged an application to stop a refugee rights protest from going ahead on Saturday, citing coronavirus and public health concerns.

By Thursday, about 200 people had clicked ‘going’ and 1,000 had clicked ‘interested’ on the Facebook event for the ‘Free the refugees: National day of action’ being organised by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC).

"We know that the organisers can't control the numbers," Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told Nine Radio.

"We know that they can't meet the health obligations that are in place for everyone else."

RAC has vowed to defend their right to protest in court.

Calls to take down Australia's 'racist statues'
As statues around the world are being toppled amid anti-racism protests, Australia is being urged to once again look at its own colonial-era monuments.

Over the weekend, a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston was thrown into a harbour in the UK city of Bristol, with statues deemed racist also being damaged around the US and Europe.

"It's great to see - very inspiring," CEO of Sydney's Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council Nathan Moran told SBS News.

Mr Moran, a Goori man, said it was time for Australia to remove statues of individuals who have harmed Indigenous people and their culture.

"We in the local community support the removal of statues that honour racist bigots and those who have perpetrated atrocities against our people," he said.

PM calls for people attending rallies this weekend to be charged
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for people who go to Black Lives Matter rallies planned for this weekend to be charged after more than 35,000 people protested last Saturday. 

He made the call on Melbourne radio station 3AW, saying people who went to rallies would be showing great disrespect to fellow Australians.

Asked if they should be charged for attending, Mr Morrison said "I really do think they should". 

“You can’t have a double standard here,” he said.

“The issues of last weekend were very difficult, but I think people carrying it on now, it is not about that – it’s about people pushing a whole bunch of other barrows now and it puts others lives and livelihoods at risk.”

Tens of thousands of people defied public health orders to march in anti-racism rallies across Australia last weekend.

Melbourne Black Lives Matter protester tests positive to coronavirus
It’s been revealed a man who attended last weekend’s Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne has since tested positive for coronavirus.

The person wore a mask, was not symptomatic at Saturday's protest and is unlikely to have contracted the virus at the event, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters this morning.

"They were potentially infectious, so the lesson about warning people not to attend applies. The directions in place which limit mass gatherings ... are there for a reason," Professor Sutton said.

But the man did develop symptoms within 24 hours of attending.

State governments have since moved to outlaw protests due to the risk of spreading coronavirus. 

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