Launceston's Black Lives Matter candlelight vigil will pledge solidarity with people of colour in the United States and shine a light on Indigenous Australians deaths in police custody on Saturday.
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The Strong Blak TAS event will feature Indigenous speakers, talking about racism particularly in the justice system, discussions and a vigil for fallen POC nationally and internationally.
Similar vigils have been organised across Australia following the protests in the US over racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
After announcing the vigil, Palawa social worker Bianca Templar received a threatening and racist phone call from a private number.
"It's that kind of behaviour that is causing the need for these vigils," she said.
Since 1991 at least 432 Indigenous Australians have died in custody and this includes six in Tasmania.
Ms Templar said despite the hundreds of Indigenous deaths in custody there had not been a conviction.
She said there was even a belief Aboriginal people no longer existed in Tasmania, which was not true.
"A lot people don't recognise the institutional racism within Australia, let alone in Tasmania itself," she said.
Indigenous Australians are the most incarcerated people in the world by percentage of population.
... it's not a black versus white thing, it's an everybody against racism thing.
- Bianca Templar
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' corrective services March report, the imprisonment rate for Indigenous Australians was 2589 per 100,000 people.
Operations Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said police supported people's right to protest, if it was done legally and safely.
"In the current climate that includes following the coronavirus restrictions and social distancing measures that are still in place," he said.
"The community can have confidence that Tasmania Police is open and accountable and there are robust processes in place to facilitate complaints. We regularly work with protest organisers to ensure any demonstration is safe and that members of the public can go about their lawful business."
The BLM vigil will be held at Prince's Square on Saturday from 4pm to 5.30pm.
COVID-19 restrictions will be obeyed but attendees are asked to bring hand sanitiser, masks, water and keep 1.5 metres apart. If you are sick, stay home.
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