On February 14, 2004, a 17-young-old Aboriginal man from Kamilaroi — Thomas "T.J." Hickey — was flung from his bicycle and impaled on a metal fence while being pursued by Redfern police. His death the following day in hospital sparked a community uprising in Redfern.
Young people from the Block decided to take a stand against the police harassment. Armed only with rocks and garbage bins, they drove the police from the Block and set fire to Redfern station. They drew the attention of Australians to a death that may otherwise have gone unnoticed and unquestioned.
The corporate media were unrelenting in their racist attacks. They sided with the police, labelling the actions as "riots" without bothering to question why another young Aboriginal man had died at the hands of police.
There are questions regarding the circumstances of the Hickey's death with considerable evidence suggesting that it was the result of ongoing police harassment and misconduct. The police statements contradicted those of all other eyewitnesses to the tragedy. The police even went against basic first aid training and pulled Hickey off the fence on which he was impaled.
Despite the questionable role of the police, one officer involved, Senior Constable Michael Hollingsworth, was exempted from presenting evidence at the coronial inquest into Hickey's death. Without this evidence, the coroner eventually reported that the police had no involvement in that death.
A just inquiry would have considered all the evidence!
The Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) therefore demands:
1. The reopening of a new coronial inquest to review the original police evidence presented and, also the large amount of evidence not presented by either the police or the state coroner;
2. That the police community liaison officers, namely Paul Wilkinson and Derek Wilson, be called to give evidence to the state coroner, in camera if necessary, to investigate and expand on their statements to the NSW upper house inquiry; and
3. That Gail Hickey, T.J.'s mother, be granted the right to choose her own independent legal team to properly represent her interests — and the best interests of justice — and further that all relevant costs be met by the Carr government.
The Socialist Alliance fully supports these demands, and urges all left and progressive organisations and individuals to do likewise.
Ray Jackson
[The author is president of the Indigenous Social Justice Association and a member of the Socialist Alliance. The ISJA have had a petition circulating nationally and internationally calling for the re-opening of the inquest. This will be handed to NSW attorney-general Bob Debus at 11.10am on February 15, at Governor Macquarie Tower, Farrell Place, Sydney, after a meeting outside the building that begins at 10.30am].
From Green Left Weekly, February 16, 2005.
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