Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Australians taking part in global anti-racism protests to exercise extreme caution.
Two Nine News crews covering London protests over the death of African American man George Floyd were attacked in separate incidents on June 3.
A reporter and cameraman from Seven News were bashed by police outside the White House in Washington earlier this week.
“In terms of some of the violence we’re seeing around the world today, for those Australians who find themselves in those situations, I would urge them to show great caution,” Morrison said on Thursday.
“Already we have had to provide support for those in the media sector, for journalists who have found themselves in those situations, and of course we will continue to provide that support.
“But I would urge people to be extremely cautious.
“These are dangerous situations and people should exercise great care in where they’re placing themselves.”
Floyd’s death has renewed focus on Australia’s systemic mistreatment of Aboriginal people, including hundreds of deaths in custody and disproportionate prison rates.
“Australia has its own challenges when it comes to some of the issues that have been raised and we'll continue to work on those,” the prime minister said.
“I’ve met regularly with the peak indigenous groups in Australia and we’re making good progress.
“These are important issues that are taken seriously by my government and by governments all around the country.”
