Australia’s prime minister on Thursday termed the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests “completely unacceptable” and threatened to bring charges against demonstrators.
“WE’VE GOT TO RESPECT OUR HISTORY”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the removal of statues of white historical figures showed the movement had been “taken over by much more politically driven left-wing agendas,” ABC News reported. He was referring to the largely welcomed removal of several statutes of slave traders and other racist historical figures in countries including the UK, Belgium, and the US.
“We’ve got to be honest about our history, we’ve also got to respect our history as well. This is not a license for people to go nuts on this stuff,” said Morrison, who has previously urged Australians to stay away from the demonstrations.
Accusing protesters of “setting back efforts to lift coronavirus restrictions,” he said, “Certainly, any further action on this front would be absolutely unacceptable.” “The double standards that [protesters] allowed themselves to perpetrate by turning up has offended, rightly I think, Australians right across the country. The way that it was done and the suggestion that they might do it again risks public support for even the issue they raise.”