Indigenous leader Nyunggai Warren Mundine says the weekends protests around the country were “total madness”.

Thousands turned out across the country to protest against Aboriginal deaths in custody and support the Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the globe.

He told Mark Levy there were other ways of protesting and expressing their views.

“From a public health perspective, you’ve got to say where was the leadership?” Mr Mundine said.

“Here we are in a pandemic, people have lost their jobs, businesses have closed, you couldn’t go to a club, a pub.

“They are telling us to keep 1.5 metres away from each other and yet they organise this march.

“Every health officer, every medical officer, every doctor has said if the pandemic gets into the Aboriginal community it will be a disaster, because of our chronic health problems.”

He said the advice should have been crystal clear, and it was “total madness”.

“The advice was not to do this, it was totally irresponsible,” he said.

“I can’t understand the leadership in organising this.”

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Image: Nyunggai Warren Mundine AO/Facebook