Black Lives Matter rally in Canberra: Hundreds turned out at Parliament House

"We've never had a turnout like this before," she said.

On Friday, hundreds of Canberrans filled Garema Place on Ngambri-Ngunnawal land, protesting in solidarity with people across the country and in the USA, fighting racism faced by Indigenous Australians, shining a light on indigenous deaths in custody close to home and a disproportionate incarceration rate.

The crowds were greater than Ms House, an organiser, could have imagined. She was grateful for the support, but wondered where it had been for so many years.

"If I stick in the mindframe of, 'where were you guys before?', we can't move forward," she said. "We need to move forward."

"I hope everyone that has showed up today will keep showing up. We need you to show up when it's not trending."

The protest is part of a series of Black Lives Matter rallies in Australia and riots in the USA sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of police.

Those riots ignited protest and conversation about racism in Australia, where there has been 432 Indigenous deaths in custody since a Royal Commission in 1991, and no convictions.

It was an issue right here in the ACT, Aunty Matilda House said as she welcomed crowds.

"Aboriginal men and women have been taken from our lives and not once has it ever been explained, and they and all of us still can't breathe," she said.

"We still can't breathe."

"We will not put up with police brutality, we will not put up with the way governments act towards us. We need the support, we need that care."

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders make up 1.9 per cent of the ACT population, but account for 22 per cent of people in custody.

In 2016, Stephen Freeman died inside the Alexander Maconochie Centre. His family were among the scores of people who shared their stories on the lawns of Parliament House to a sitting crowd.

Leah House wanted the Canberra community to reflect on what "flicked the switch" to bring so many people to the rally.

"Maybe they always cared, but they didn't care enough to show up."

The problem wasn't new, Ms House said.

"We've been marching this march every year, but this is a change, these conversations are happening."

"They need to reflect on how it is they know George Floyd but they don't know the last Aboriginal death in custody here in the ACT."

Ms House wanted the community to educate themselves on indigenous history and culture, and to continue the fight long after the protest had finished.

The Prime Minister's plea to stop the protests due to COVID-19 fell on deaf ears. Social distancing was foregone, but masks and hand sanitiser were handed to everyone.

"We wouldn't be here, doing what we're doing, if it was such a wonderful country Mr Morrison," Ms House said.

Her hope was in the young people that came out in force.

"This next generation cares and I think they're going to keep caring because we're going to keep showing up," she said.

Among those young Indigenous people was 14-year-old Kaian Denis, who worried people would stop listening once the protests stopped, but was hopeful the Canberra community would continue to rally against institutionalised racism in Australia.

It was something he experienced everyday, Kaian said. From comments in the schoolyard to a failure to teach indigenous history in his classes.

"It's heartbreaking," he said.

Kaian was glad so many were speaking out and wanted the Australian Government to step "out of the shadows" and acknowledge the injustice.