SYDNEY — TJ Hickey, who died following a police chase in February 2004, should have celebrated his 19th birthday on March 9. A community rally in his family’s home town of Walgett marked the occasion.

This was followed by a rally of the Walgett and Redfern Aboriginal communities on march 11 in Redfern.

Protesters marched from the Redfern Block to state parliament to demand that NSW Premier Bob Carr and police commissioner Ken Moroney explain to the young man’s mother, Gail Hickey, their refusal to reopen the inquest into TJ’s death.

NSW parliamentarians Lee Rhiannon from the Greens and Arthur Chesterfield-Evans from the Australian Democrats addressed the rally.

Indigenous Social Justice Association president Ray Jackson, who chaired the rally, highlighted reports from witnesses that police had tampered with key evidence, such as TJ’s bike.

Gail Hickey promised, “I’ll be fighting until the day I die to get the inquest reopened”.

A rally in solidarity with the Redfern community is being planned for March 26 — see the Activist Calendar on page 23 for details.

Norman Brewer

From Green Left Weekly, March 16, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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