National rallies were held on October 23 to protest against continuing Aboriginal deaths in custody.
About 300 people rallied in Melbourne at an event organised by the Indigenous Social Justice Association, Melbourne and First Nations Liberation.
The catalyst for the rally was the death of a 22-year-old Yamatji woman known as Ms Dhu in police custody in Western Australia.
ABC news reported on September 30: "It is understood she was in custody because she owed approximately $1,000 in unpaid fines. Ms Dhu's family has revealed to the ABC they were never informed she was unwell, despite phoning the police station to check on her."
Shockingly, as the rallies took place, a 31-year-old Aboriginal man died in a Perth prison. It is the second death in custody in Western Australia in the past three months.
Viv Malo from First Nations Liberation called for the full implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into deaths in custody. "The family is using this to highlight that Indigenous people are 3% of the population, yet incarcerated at a rate of 30%. We need an enquiry into racism and sexism in the justice system.”
Alison Thorne from Freedom Socialist Party said: "Unpaid parking fines should not lead to a death sentence. We will never forget and we will keep fighting for justice."
Marissa Sposaro from 3CR told the rally: "There has been no independent investigation into the death of Ms Dhu. We cannot have police investigating themselves. The Royal Commission said people should not be imprisoned for non-payment of fines."
Chris Peterson from Socialist Alliance said: "No one should be jailed or killed for non-payment of fines. These cases often never go to court. Since 1980, there have been more than 400 deaths in custody. Western Australia has an incarceration rate of first nations people eight times that of blacks in apartheid South Africa."
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