Peter Boyle, Sydney
Peter and Barbara Perkins are relieved that the police hunt for their grandson Jesse Kelly, in the wake of recent youth riots against police in the poor outer Sydney suburb of Macquarie Fields, is finally over. Kelly surrendered to police on March 9. He has been charged with two counts of manslaughter and one of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and affray.
But Peter Perkins is angry at media attempts to blame Kelly for sparking the riots and for branding him a "dangerous criminal".
Radio 2GB's right-wing shock-jock Ray Hadley has even tried to incite violence against Kelly and other Macquarie Fields youth, Perkins told Green Left Weekly on March 11.
"Last Wednesday, as I was driving to the funeral of Matthew Robertson [the second of the two youths killed in the police chase that sparked the riots], I heard Hadley interviewing a relative of Jasen Greeks, a resident who was allegedly assaulted by Jesse and other youths.
"Hadley was clearly inciting this guy to round up his relatives to go over to Macquarie Fields and teach the young people there a lesson. He kept trying to put words in his mouth and in the end he said that he'd be happy if this happened.
"I have reported this to Media Watch."
On March 5, Perkins told GLW that community frustration with the corporate media's coverage of the unrest in Macquarie Fields had been building.
Perkins said that Macquarie Fields residents are "angry with the media simply because of the spin that is being put on the situation. Plenty of residents have told their side of the story only to have it misquoted, or used against them. The attack on a Channel 7 cameraman and his crew [at Robertson's funeral] is symptomatic of the frustration with the media. The media, including respected journalists, have done themselves a grave disservice in this area."
On March 4, hundreds of police descended on the area and were "blocking streets and generally harassing people", following the funeral.
"When the harassment tactics didn't work for the police, they started pulling youths off the streets and arresting them. People remained calm. Then around 9pm the riot police in full battle dress went door to door, kicking them down as they went, terrifying the locals. Several youths were then arrested and pulled from their homes by groups of 50 or so Tactical Response Group terrorists in their full battle gear."
Perkins described how the raids continued into the early hours of the morning, while helicopters flew overhead to spot anyone who tried to escape. Perkins and his wife Barbara "went from raid to raid, trying to make sure youths who were present didn't react to the police brutality and also to try and get the police to stop".
Perkins recounted that "on one such raid, I heard Mike Munroe from 60 Minutes doing a commentary about how he was chased by youths throwing bottles". Munroe was "generally denigrating Macquarie Fields", according to Perkins. "I became so angry at this bullshit that I jumped in front of the rolling cameras to tell Mike that he was 'talking bullshit'. He was taken by surprise by my sudden entry into his spotlight and he stepped aside."
Perkins proceeded to tell the press "the real story about poverty, police harassment and poor facilities in the area. Alas, again I see this morning that none of what I said was printed or went to air."
Perkins also predicted on March 5 that "once Jesse hands himself in, the media circus will leave and Macquarie Fields will become a forgotten, downtrodden backwater once again".
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on March 6 that Perkins "took exception to having a 2UE microphone thrust in his face" by Radio 2UE police reporter Kylie Simmonds, after he had been talking "patiently to reporter after reporter" at Macquarie Fields on March 4.
"Pushing the microphone away, Perkins delivered a polite but scathing dissertation on why he would never in a million years speak to someone from 2UE, along with a long, detailed and less than flattering appraisal of John Laws, his former stablemate, Alan Jones, and radio shock-jocks in general.
"Simmonds responded politely saying she was a reporter, didn't editorialise and was disappointed by his reaction but got nowhere. Finally, somewhat exasperated, she told him he was talking to a 'Walkley award finalist'."
According to the SMH, Perkins replied, "Walkleys and awards have nothing to do with it. I won't speak to 2UE and that's it."
From Green Left Weekly, March 16, 2005.
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