14th February call to the Taurunga units fence line where police killed TJ

by ray jackson, president, Indigenous Social Justice Association

Related: Campaign builds to defend persecuted Aboriginal family - RACIST POLICE HARASSMENT IN WESTERN SYDNEY

we are fast approaching the 7th anniversary of the death of tj hickey arising from a police chase on st. valentines day, 2004. after a torrent of police lies, collaborative statements by the 4+ police involved, a severely restricted coronial inquest, witnesses and evidence not allowed by the coroner to be entered and the government-appointed legal team for the hickey family that sat on its hands, there is no great surprise that the redfern police were exonerated by then state coroner, john abernethey, now retired.

apropos to the call for justice for tj and the hickey family over the previous 6 years, and calling for it a seventh time, we have expanded our demands for this year to include a death in custody monument to be incorporated into the pemulwuy plan of the aboriginal housing company at the block. further, that such monument include the tj plaque as presented by the aboriginal students association of uts, sydney, some years ago.

a letter from isja on behalf of the hickey family stating this call has been hand-delivered, by myself, to mick mundine of the ahc on tuesday 18th 2011. to date we have not heard from mick on this matter.

personally, i can see no problems with the nub of the letter given to mick. the block is aboriginal land owned by the ahc. the ahc plan to rebuild the block as per their accepted plan. i can see no good reason why our call for an aboriginal monument to all nsw deaths in custody should not be acceptable to the ahc, the community and all nsw death in custody families.

an aboriginal monument on aboriginal land! who can deny the right that this be done!

for 7 years the hickey family have been denied by the redfern police, the nsw dept. of housing and the nsw government to place the plaque on or near the taurunga units fence line.

now we have rhe right to erect the monument on our own land, the block. we anxiously await the decision of the ahc and mick mundine.

another call has been for several nsw politicians to attend the march/rally this year and to speak in support of the call for justice and for support of the monument. of those invited, one has said no due to a busy calendar. that was the shadow minister for aboriginal affairs, national's kevin humphries.

two upper house members have said yes, greens david shoebridge and ian cohen. we honour their humanity and welcome their acceptance.

we will gather at the taurunga units fence line, cnr george and philips streets,waterloo, opposite the centre of excellence, at 10.30 am. on 14th february, 2011.

there will be speakers, followed by a two minute silence at 11.17 am, further speakers, if required, thence a march to the redfern police station via pitt and redfern streets. a further silence will be held and speakers again, if required.

then cross to the block for another silence and again speakers, if required.

we urge all to attend if possible and for notices of support if you cannot. these can be sent to isja01@internode.on.net

please also print out and distribute to your networks.

7 years for justice is too long.