Model Samantha Harris says ‘racism is alive in our own backyards’ and calls police murderers

Indigenous model Samantha Harris has broken her silence about racism in Australia as George Floyd’s death in police custody sparks protests around the world.

The 29-year-old shared a photo of the Aboriginal flag to Instagram on Tuesday and said ‘racism is alive in our own backyards’.

‘It’s disgusting what happened to George Floyd. He’s not the first and sadly won’t be the last hence why everyone is rioting in the U.S. Enough is enough. But it’s also shed a light on what happens there on a daily basis,’ she wrote.

‘It’s showing racism is alive and well not only in America but right here in our own backyard which I’ve shared stories about police brutality and deaths in custody in the past,’ she continued.

Samantha went on to say racism is ‘disgusting and has to change’ and added ‘nothing seems to happen to these murderers also known as police’.

‘If it was an everyday citizen that did that to someone they’d be in jail for murder obviously not all police officers act in this manner of brutality and assaulting civilians but as for the ones that do and when it goes bad and someone’s loses their life there needs to be consequences,’ she said.

‘They need to be accountable for their actions. Assault is assault and murder is murder and it all starts with education on a number of levels.’

Her post comes after protests and riots erupted across the U.S. after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in Minneapolis last Monday when a white cop pressed his knee against his neck for eight minutes.

Mr Floyd had been accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a deli.

One of the officers involved, Derek Michael Chauvin, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter days after footage of the incident went viral.

Over the past week, protesters in the US have taken to the streets demanding reform after what many consider another senseless death and example of police brutality. 

On Saturday, Los Angeles descended into violence as cops in riot gear clashed with protesters who sprayed graffiti and torched police cruisers while officers shot rubber bullets into crowds and beat demonstrators with batons.