Rally: Down with racist police attacks! Drop all charges against those arrested at Tisha's 21st!

PLEASE NOTE: After a successfull rally to mark the start of the trial of Tisha and her family and friends who were so horrifically brutalised and arrested by marauding police the morning after she celebrated her 21st birthday, we are calling upon all supporters, anti-racists and Trade Unionists to join in the campaign to defend these brave people and show their support for this all important anti-racist struggle by rallying outside the Parramatta Court on the morning of the second day of the trial.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU AT YOUR 21ST BIRTHDAY PARTY?

Well, this photo documents part of what happened to Tisha at her twenty-first party. After raiding her home in Western Sydney under the bogus pretext that the music was too loud, police crushed Tisha, tore off her belly button ring, lifted up her skirt and inappropriately touched her and left her with bruises on her stomach, arms and legs. Moreover, after all this they arrested Tisha and five of her close relatives as well as a family friend and slapped them all with serious but utterly false riot charges.

The real reason for the police raid is that Tisha and her family are Aboriginal and poor. Australian police are often hostile to the poor and are notorious for downright racist brutality towards Aboriginal people. Furthermore, NSW police have a special hatred for Tisha’s family. You see, they are Hickeys: close relatives of TJ Hickey the 17 year-old boy who was killed by racist police in February 2004 after police chased him through the streets of Redfern when he was riding his bicycle. As a result of their defiant refusal to abandon the quest for justice for their beloved TJ, the Hickeys, from Redfern to Riverstone, have faced police harassment over the last seven years.

However, this tyranny is about to be challenged. When Tisha and the other adults who were arrested at her party go to court for the start of their trial her family’s supporters, trade unionists and all who hate injustice are going to be rallying outside the courthouse to demand the dropping of all charges against those arrested. We will also make clear our opposition to police violence – violence that is especially aimed against Aboriginal people but which also targets other non-white communities, anti-racist activists, the poor and striking workers manning picket lines.

Support for this camapign is growing which is why the authorities have now suddenly put back the court date (from the original trial date of March 23) to try and dissipate the momentum that is building. However they will not suceed.
  

DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST THOSE ARRESTED AT TISHA’S 21ST

STOP PERSECUTING THE ABORIGINAL HICKEY FAMILY!

DOWN WITH RACIST POLICE ATTACKS!

Rally 9am, Monday, May 23
Outside Parramatta Court (Corner George and Marsden Streets)