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Redfern meeting denounces racist police violence

Lachlan Malloch, Sydney

March 10, 2004 - “The views of the Aboriginal community in general, and residents of the Redfern Block in particular, have fallen on deaf ears since the death of TJ [Thomas Hickey]", Redfern Aboriginal leader Lyall Munro told a meeting of 100 people at the South Sydney Leagues Club, organised by the Socialist Alliance, on March 4.

Susan Price, the Socialist Alliance candidate for City of Sydney mayor, called for solidarity with the Indigenous community “who are under siege” and vowed to take the fight against racism and police violence into the electoral arena.

The mood of the diverse audience was initially sombre as Ray Jackson, from the Indigenous Social Justice Association, recounted in detail the events of the weekend of February 14-15, when 17-year-old Hickey died after being chased by police.

Jackson, who is also a Socialist Alliance member, presented a thorough rebuttal of the police lies about Hickey's death. Not only were police statements contradicted by eyewitness accounts, the lie of the land in Redfern meant that the police must have been chasing Hickey. In disgust, Jackson recalled that the police had pulled Hickey off the fence on which he had been impaled “against all medical training”.

Jackson was not inclined to describe the ensuing black youths' fightback against police as a riot, because it was “too stage-managed, with the police in control”. He believed the police allowed the angry, open confrontation to continue for many hours because it would help to “take the heat out of police involvement in TJ's death”.

As the meeting unfolded, two key themes emerged — the continuity of Aboriginal oppression and resistance over the past two centuries, as well as the need for solidarity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people against racism.

Munro connected today's Redfern Block resistance to the history of black activism and gave an eloquent insight into the history of police and government control over Aboriginal people's lives. He recalled taking part in Charles Perkins' famous “freedom rides” of the 1960s. He subsequently moved from a Moree mission, which he described “a concentration camp”, to Redfern as direct police control over black people's lives in country towns began to wane.

Darcy Byrne from the Balmain Youth Organisation and Rihab Charida, a Palestinian activist from Bankstown, hammered home the ties that bind working-class young people across Sydney. Solidarity was needed not only because Aborigines are under attack, but also because black and poor non-Aboriginal youth share a common experience — police harassment.

Byrne pointed out that, tragically, the general public are only made aware of the death of young people in police chases when a brave confrontation ensues, such as the Redfern Block riot. Who, he asked, has ever heard of Michael Hancock's death a year ago in Glebe?

Jackson entreated the audience to reject defeatism and realise that there are alternatives to racism and continuing violence: “Vote Socialist Alliance! The two mainstream parties are landlocked into stupidity and bigotry [and we've got to] make our own alternatives”, he said.

An organiser of the meeting said that the Greens and the Labor Party had not taken up an offer to speak on the evening's platform.

Lyall Munro concluded the meeting with a call to further protest action. Hickey's family will lead a protest march, starting at the Block at 11am on March 24 and proceeding to a lunch-time rally outside the NSW parliament. A national black rights march on Parliament House in Canberra will follow next month, on a date yet to be decided.

Source: Green Left Weekly

Redfern Block community defiant

Norman Brewer, Sydney

March 3, 2004 - “TJ had 17 years. We have the rest of our lives to never forget him. We have to remember TJ, we have to remember all the deaths at the hands of the [state]”, Redfern community leader Jenny Munro told a 550-strong memorial march on February 24.

Thomas “TJ” Hickey died on February 15 after a fatal fall from his bicycle. Although several witnesses say he was being chased by police at the time, the police deny it.

The march coincided with TJ’s funeral in Walgett, where 300 people, including many who had traveled from Redfern, attended the funeral.

TJ’s imprisoned father was not one of them, however, as he was denied permission to attend for “security reasons”. Hickey’s aunt was also in jail and denied permission to attend the funeral, which was peaceful and dignified.

The police had tried to discourage the Redfern march from taking place, telling those who applied for the march permit that they would be held “fully responsible for anything that can happen during the day”. A February 18 AAP article reported that police had “vowed to once again confront Aborigines should they proceed with plans to march”.

The corporate media also did its best to keep people away and frightened of the block’s residents. The day before the rally, the Australian’s headline screamed, “Storm simmers in racial hotspot” while the Sydney Morning Herald went with ``Rage that is waiting to explode”.

The Redfern memorial march was quiet but defiant, involving kooris from across NSW. Members of the Socialist Alliance, the Greens, students from nearby campuses and members of the Indigenous department at the University of UNSW Indigenous department participated.

The march stopped at the spot that TJ was fatally injured, and emotions were high as flowers were laid at the fence. The march proceeded to Redfern Police Station, where a list of 17 demands were handed over to the police by community leaders Kevin Smith and Lyall Munro. Aboriginal women chanted “Leave our kids alone”. The march returned to the Redfern Block for a wake, memorial performances with didgeridoo and dance, and a speak-out.

The community demands include police handing over evidence of what happened on the night TJ was injured, and a royal commission into the death. To read the full list, visit <http://www.greenleft.org.au>.

So far, 10 Aboriginal people have been arrested as a result of the fight between black youth and police on February 15. Given that police have threatened to arrest 40 people, many stayed away from the march from fear that they would be arrested afterwards.

The police kept a low profile on the day, however. As Jenny Munro concluded: “Today was a moral victory: Aboriginal community: one — NSW police force: nil.”

The Indigenous community has decided not to organise any actions until later this month after the grieving period has passed. The Socialist Alliance has called a meeting for 7pm on March 4 at the Redfern Town Hall titled “Community against racism and police violence — Justice for TJ” with Indigenous Social Justice campaigner Ray Jackson. The Redfern Block community maintains a now regularly updated website at <http://www.isis.aust.com/theblock> and all events will be uploaded immediately onto <http://www.Socialist-Alliance.org>.

Source: Green Left Weekly

Further information:

• Redfern Riots clippings and background

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