Last month’s demo on The Block

Adam Hill reports: “An assembly of around 30 supporters, both local and visitors, gathered at the Redfern Community Centre to protest against Black Deaths in Custody. A relatively low attendance, considering the event was publicised widely by both email and flyers, and an oddly vacant feeling considering what has occurred upon this very same land of protest in the past. Nevertheless, the numbers gathered comprised volunteers of the Social Alliance Group, members of the Gamarada Healing Program and locally based reporters and photographers. The ever-dedicated social justice advocate, Ray Jackson, spearheaded the protest co-organised by fellow human rights advocate, Raul Bassi. Typically informative, Ray reflected upon several of the most serious accounts of deaths of individuals whereby Corrective Services and or Police have been involved, the most local of course being that of TJ Hickey. Jackson painfully enlightened the gatherers with graphic information relating to the most recent victims, both male and female. Local community activist and representative of the Hickey family, Bowie Hickey, reminded the assembly of what he saw as the harsh reality of incessant Police victimisation and harassment and made a tearful and emotional plea for this tragic fact to cease. Ray Jackson continued to remind the supporters of the seemingly impartial attitudes of Governance since the Hawke/Labor years in relation to addressing Indigenous deaths in custody sufficiently. These harrowing statistics have arrived at a ghastly total in excess of 400 Indigenous individuals who have been dealt the wrath of the ‘Justice System’ to date. As the bold print upon the flyers fixed to the neighbourhood telegraph poles read: ‘Who will be next?’ Perhaps more to the point, ‘Who will care?’”

Photo: Adam Hil l- Ray Jackson addresses supporters, Redfern Community Centre, April 10

Source: South Sydney Herald May 2010 www.southsydneyherald.com.au