21/03/09 - Police Target Lex Wotton Benefit - West End, Brisbane Qld Australia
11:28
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8 months ago
2 arrests were made following police harassment of a Palm Island Indigenous man leaving a benefit gig held to support Lex Wotton’s family. Lex Wotton is currently serving a 6 year jail sentence for his part in a community protest in response to the cover-up of the death in custody of fellow Palm Island resident Mulrunji Doomadgee in November 2004.
The gig was an alcohol free all ages live music event held as part of regular Saturday night activities at Blackstar Coffee Roastery in West End, none of which previously had attracted any police interest.
“From the start of the benefit gig, which included performances about black deaths in custody, uniformed police in unmarked cars patrolled the street, driving past at least five times before stationing two police cars and a police wagon at the end of the street. Despite no incidents at the event the police clearly expected to make arrests” said Robert Nicholas, one of the organisers from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition.
An Indigenous man from Palm Island who had attended the event was walking home when he was stopped at the end of the street by ten police officers who questioned why he was at the event. Several concerned people walked up the street and asked police why they were not letting the man go home, to which they replied that he needed an ‘escort’.
“We told them that one of us would walk home with him, and that he didn’t require a police escort or presence. At this point they started becoming very agitated and calling us ‘ignorant left-wingers’.
For full Media Release please email arcbrisbane@gmail.com
pls note - female voice at end saying "They're grown adults" is a police officer (referring to police & why they could walk away without answering where they were taking these 2 gentlemen)2 arrests were made following police harassment of a Palm Island Indigenous man leaving a benefit gig held to support Lex Wotton’s family....all »2 arrests were made following police harassment of a Palm Island Indigenous man leaving a benefit gig held to support Lex Wotton’s family. Lex Wotton is currently serving a 6 year jail sentence for his part in a community protest in response to the cover-up of the death in custody of fellow Palm Island resident Mulrunji Doomadgee in November 2004.
The gig was an alcohol free all ages live music event held as part of regular Saturday night activities at Blackstar Coffee Roastery in West End, none of which previously had attracted any police interest.
“From the start of the benefit gig, which included performances about black deaths in custody, uniformed police in unmarked cars patrolled the street, driving past at least five times before stationing two police cars and a police wagon at the end of the street. Despite no incidents at the event the police clearly expected to make arrests” said Robert Nicholas, one of the organisers from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition.
An Indigenous man from Palm Island who had attended the event was walking home when he was stopped at the end of the street by ten police officers who questioned why he was at the event. Several concerned people walked up the street and asked police why they were not letting the man go home, to which they replied that he needed an ‘escort’.
“We told them that one of us would walk home with him, and that he didn’t require a police escort or presence. At this point they started becoming very agitated and calling us ‘ignorant left-wingers’.
For full Media Release please email arcbrisbane@gmail.com
pls note - female voice at end saying "They're grown adults" is a police officer (referring to police & why they could walk away without answering where they were taking these 2 gentlemen)«
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