While many Queenslanders last Saturday night were focusing on what the election result might be, a benefit show for jailed Palm Island man Lex Wotton was being held in the inner-Brisbane suburb of West End (which coincidentally is in the electorate of both the Premier and the Prime Minister). West End is also home to a number of Aboriginal people and a gathering point for many others.
Like many people, I’ve followed the events surrounding the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee in police custody with interest and a lot of dismay. For a good outline of the issues surrounding that 2004 death, I recommend having a look at the book “Gone for a Song” by Jeff Waters.
A comment left on my personal web site drew my attention to a Google video website detailing allegations of police activities in the vicinity of the Free Lex Wotton benefit. It includes some video and sound footage – the video is fairly poor quality, but does provide some extra context.
The text accompanying the video is as follows:
Police Target Lex Wotton Benefit – West End, Brisbane
Two arrests were made following police harassment of a Palm Island Indigenous man leaving a benefit gig held to support Lex Wotton’s family. Lex Wotton is currently serving a 6 year jail sentence for his part in a community protest in response to the cover-up of the death in custody of fellow Palm Island resident Mulrunji Doomadgee in November 2004.
The gig was an alcohol free all ages live music event held as part of regular Saturday night activities at Blackstar Coffee Roastery in West End, none of which previously had attracted any police interest.
“From the start of the benefit gig, which included performances about black deaths in custody, uniformed police in unmarked cars patrolled the street, driving past at least five times before stationing two police cars and a police wagon at the end of the street. Despite no incidents at the event the police clearly expected to make arrests” said Robert Nicholas, one of the organisers from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition.
An Indigenous man from Palm Island who had attended the event was walking home when he was stopped at the end of the street by ten police officers who questioned why he was at the event.
Several concerned people walked up the street and asked police why they were not letting the man go home, to which they replied that he needed an ‘escort’. “We told them that one of us would walk home with him, and that he didn’t require a police escort or presence. At this point they started becoming very agitated and calling us ‘ignorant left-wingers’.
For full Media Release please email arcbrisbane@gmail.com
This might seem fairly minor to many people (unless you happened to be the people being arrested), but it is very reminiscent to me of Brisbane in the 1980s (and no doubt prior to that) when there was constant (mostly) low level police intimidation of political activists. There has been a lot of improvement since then in many respects, but I hear regular comments from a range of people – far beyond just political or Indigenous activists – that relations between police and Aboriginal people are not much better now than there were 20 years ago.
3 Comments
Andrew,
This is very true. For the most I believe that relations have changed and there has been a concerted effort. However, there are far too many instances of this sort of behaviour from Queensland police.
I myself was arrested after trying to help an Aboriginal man in Ipswich who was being unjustly arrested. I had been out with friends, and yes – drinking. When I left a local night spot I met an Aboriginal man on the street. We started talking for some time then a white male approached us and asked for smokes. We both informed him that we didn’t smoke and then he became agitated towards us.
He walked away only to join with a bigger group of white males and start a fight with a group of Aboriginals. At this sight, me and the Aboriginal man I had been talking to ran down the street to break the fight up, when supposedly, the man I was with kicked another. The police arrived shortly after, and by this time I was feeling sober and my mind was sharp due to a rush of adrenaline.
The police began asking questions and for some reason I knew I had to stay. A friend of mine, who had worked with police in the district and was driving that night, helped me explain to police what we had seen and how the white males had started the fight. There are security cameras all throughout Ipswich now also.
While the police took their time, the group of Aboriginals I was sitting with moved on. My friend pleaded with me to leave, but I knew I had to stay. We were all standing at the taxi rank when the police approached – this was all caught by security cameras. During this time the police separated the Aboriginal male I had been speaking to earlier and informed him he was being arrested.
Seeing that the police had let the men that started the fight walk away, I insisted on asking why this man was being arrested and what evidence they had. To this I was told to mind my own business and leave. I became verbally, not physically, loud and before I knew it was sitting in the Ipswich Watch House being lectured – while other police officers were making jokes about “don’t worry, we wont put in the cells with them.”
I was charged with obstruction of police and given a nine month good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded. The magistrate was mostly sympathetic and more critical of police.
I know there are many more stories out there, but it amazes me to see so much ignorance alive today.
Yes, I think you’re right. I have heard of similar examples in other states. I would encourage anyone who has come across problems to submit a formal police complaint if they feel it warranted.
The difficulty is that the police is a bit of a boy’s club, maybe necessarily so. I can’t see this changing anytime soon.
The police are out of control in this state. The move along powers give them almost autocratic reign. I was so embarrassed and angry when the ALP extended those powers. It’s not so long ago the fitzgerald inquiry was conducted and so many corrupt or at least ignorant police are still in the force. It’s a bully culture. I want it to change.