Thousands at Black Lives Matter rally in Perth

Thousands of people turned out for a Black Lives Matter rally in the Australian city of Perth on Saturday, despite being urged by the government to stay away to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

The crowd was estimated to be between 8,000 and 15,000 people.

Ben Taylor, 79, an indigenous activist and Noongar elder, urged the crowd to send a strong message to the authorities.

"We're going to be in their face all the time," he said. "Too many of our people are dying."

The rally was a call to highlight what the protesters see as systemic racism against Indigenous people.

Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders comprise 2% of the country's adult population but 27% of the prison population.

They are also the most disadvantaged ethnic minority in Australia and have higher-than-average rates of infant mortality and poor health, as well as shorter life expectancy and lower levels of education and employment.