Racism in Australia is not just a thing of the past
A new generation of Aboriginal leaders is puncturing the country’s cosy self-image
POLICE ON HORSEBACK gathered in a circle to defend the statue of Captain James Cook in Sydney’s Hyde Park. Australians inspired by American protests, and calling attention to the plight of their country’s indigenous peoples, might have toppled the statue. The moment was replete with historical irony. The “discoverer” of Australia met his end on a Hawaiian beach, at the hands of a crowd of angry natives. The police seemed determined not to let it happen to him a second time.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “A bad rap?”
From the June 20th 2020 edition
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