Aboriginal leaders in Sydney and around Australia, together with the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) and other community organisations, have called for a memorial to be built in the Block in Redfern, for all Aboriginal people who have died in custody.
To this end, a march will be held on February 14, seven years to the day that a young Aboriginal boy, TJ Hickey, was allegedly rammed by a police vehicle during a pursuit and killed.
The protest will demand the first plaque be dedicated in memory of Hickey’s death. Organisers have called for support for a memorial from all candidates and standing members of parliament.
The rally will also demand that those responsible for his death, and for Aboriginal deaths in custody, be brought to justice.
The protest will draw attention to two upcoming coronial inquests. The first is that of Veronica Baxter, a transwoman who was found hanged in her cell in the male section of the Silverwater jail. The inquest will take place on April 4 and 5 at the State Coroners Court, Glebe.
The second is the inquest into the death of Terry Griffiths Jnr at John Moroney Gaol in Windsor. The date of this inquest has not yet been set.
[The rally will take place at 10am on February 14 at the Waterloo fence line where TJ was impaled (cnr George and Phillips Sts). For more details ph Ray 0450 651 063 or Raul 0403 037 376.]