When
Where
Why
I Can't Breathe - Black Lives Matter
Justice for Dave Dungay Jnr and all Black deaths in custody
COVID-19 safety protocols for this rally are listed below - all participants must read and comply with these protocols.
This rally will take place on unceded Gadigal land and stand in solidarity with the continuing Black Lives Matter protests happening in the United States and across the world. Please see information below re COVID safety measures on the day.
The wave of global protests was sparked by the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and we continue to raise our voices for justice for his family. Aboriginal people in this country are the most incarcerated people in the world and know this violence only too well, with 437 deaths in custody since the Royal Commission in 1991 and no police or prison officer held criminally liable.
Dhungutti man David Dungay Jnr was killed in Long Bay jail on 29 December 2015. As his family said in a solidarity statement on June 6:
“Our hearts go out to the family of George Floyd. We feel your pain. Watching the video footage of George being murdered by police has been very painful for our family. David Dungay Jnr, our Dunghutti warrior, was killed in exactly the same way.”
A prison riot squad stormed David’s cell. They used the excuse that rice crackers he was eating were a risk to his health. David cried “I can’t breathe” 20 times in the last nine minutes of his life. A coronial inquest in 2019 found the cell raid was entirely unnecessary and not properly authorised, but no one has been held accountable.
The Dungay family helped to lead more than 50,000 people on a Black Lives Matter rally through the streets of Sydney on June 6, in defiance of attempts to ban the demonstration. Tuesday July 28 is the first day the NSW Parliament is scheduled to sit after a long break. On this day, the family will march on the Parliament and present a huge number of petitions demanding charges are laid on the guards and the authorities who killed David.
We want to stop the city in the middle of the week. We are calling on all supportive organisations, workers and unions to stop work and join us on this day.
At this time, the Chatfield family will have just concluded the inquest into the death of Tane Chatfield in Tamworth prison. This inquest is set to start on July 13. Tane died in his cell in suspicious circumstances in 2017. The family were not notified for 5 hours and still have no answers. Tane had been held in prison for two years without being convicted and was confident of being acquitted of charges in a hearing taking place when he died. We encourage all supporters to join the Chatfield family at this inquest.
The killings must stop. We demand justice for all deaths in custody victims. We demand the implementation of all recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991.
Please sign and share the petition calling for justice for David Dungay Jnr www.change.org/justicefordaviddungayjnr
Please get endorsement from all organisations you are involved with for this rally. Send endorsements to paul.silva12@mail.com
COVID-19 Safety checklist for I Can’t Breathe - Black Lives Matter rally July 28
1. If you are feeling at all unwell or have any cold or flu like symptoms please stay home and DO NOT attend this rally.
2. Please consider private means of transport to this rally, including by bike, walking or car to ease congestion on public transport.
3. Keep a safe distance of at least 1.5m from other rally attendees at all times. Please listen carefully and follow instructions coming from the speakers about ensuring social distancing, including during the planned march.
4. Wear a mask to the rally. If you do not have access to a mask, please find someone from our COVID-19 safety team or visit one of the COVID-19 safety stations set up in Town Hall square for a free mask as soon as you arrive.
5. Practice thorough hand hygiene - sanitise or thoroughly wash your hands before you come to the rally and sanitise at regular intervals through the rally. Bringing your own hand sanitiser is encouraged, or make use of the sanitiser provided by our COVID-19 safety teams.
6. If you plan on attending the rally, please notify rally organisers of your name and phone number (or alternative contact details) by sending them to protestcovidsafe@gmail.com These details will be kept confidential for a period of 2 months following the rally and then deleted.
7. If you develop any cold or flu-like symptoms in the two weeks following this rally, please get tested for COVID-19 immediately. You can find a comprehensive list of testing sites in Sydney at https://www.nsw.gov.au/…/how-to-protect-yourself-a…/clinics…
8. if you return a positive test please notify this Facebook page or protestcovidsafe@gmail.com or call rally organisers on 0415 800 586. Rally organisers are committed to work closely with NSW Health in the event of any positive cases of people who have attended the rally