Photos from the Australian Black Lives Matter Paddle-Outs Across the Country on Saturday

Belinda Baggs addresses the crowd at Anglesea on the Victorian Surf Coast, Saturday June 6 2020. Photo: Zoe Strapp
COASTALWATCH | NEWS
Photos by Zoe Strapp, Lauren Murphy, Luke McNee, Jarrah Lynch, Emma Backlund, Ryan Heywood, @mister_clips, and Toby Nicol
On Saturday June 6, tens of thousands of people gathered at Black Lives Matter protests across Australia's capital cities and regional centres, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movements in the US, and calling for an end to violence and deaths in custody of Indigenous Australians.
Included amongst those were a number of paddle outs by the Australian surfing community – as part of the Solidarity in Surf movement (an event created by Black Girls Surf, an American Not-For-Profit teaching surfing and empowering young girls and women of the African diaspora).
In Victoria at Eagle's Nest on the Gippsland coast and Anglesea on the Surf Coast, in New South Wales in Ulladulla and Bondi, and in Queensland on the Gold Coast – surfers came together to stand against systemic racism.
Amongst the activists, indigenous leaders and elders, some prominent surfers were in attendance, like seven time World Champ Steph Gilmore (who had a hand in organising the Gold Coast event with Juraki Surf) three time World Champ Mick Fanning, longboarding icon Belinda Baggs, WSL CTer Mikey Wright, and former WSL CTers Dingo Morrison and Mitch Crews, amongst others.
"Listening, learning, recognising and connecting with a group of incredible people yesterday, that then connects with a wider group and on and on...reconciliation, healing and coming together." Wrote Steph Gilmore on Instagram.

Eagles Nest, Victoria. Photo: Lauren Murphy

Eagles Nest, Victoria. Photo: Luke McNee

Smoking ceremony. Eagles Nest, Victoria. Photo: Lauren Murphy

Eagles Nest, Victoria. Photo: Luke McNee

Anglesea, Victoria. Photo: Zoe Strapp

Anglesea, Victoria. Photo: Zoe Strapp

Anglesea, Victoria. Photo: Jarrah Lynch

Anglesea, Victoria. Photo: Emma Backlund

Dingo and grom on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Photo: Ryan Heywood

Steph Gilmore addresses the crowd. Gold Coast, Queensland. Photo: Ryan Heywood

Gold Coast, Queensland. Photo: Ryan Heywood

Mick Fanning was in attendance. Gold Coast, Queensland. Photo: Ryan Heywood

Gold Coast, Queensland. Photo: @mister_clips

Bondi, New South Wales. Photo: Toby Nicol

Bondi, New South Wales. Photo: Toby Nicol

The paddle out at Ulladulla, New South Wales. Photo: Supplied

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