Vigil planned to demand National Royal Commission to examine police mistreatment of Aboriginal young people

Members of NT human rights organisations will hold a vigil on the steps of Parliament House in Darwin tomorrow. The Network Against Prohibition (NAP), People Against Racism in Aborginal Homelands (PARIAH) and other groups will be on the steps of Parliament House in Darwin at 12 noon in solidarity with planned protests around Australia tomorrow.

Lyall Munro, on behalf of the Hickey family and the "Block" community of Redfern has called on the Aboriginal community and their supporters across Australia to unite and support the demand for a National Royal Commission to examine police mistreatment of Aboriginal youth Australia-wide.

Thomas 'TJ' Hickey died on Sunday the 14th of February, impaled on the fence at the end of a dead-end street, having been chased by a police wagon. According to his relatives, he had recently been assaulted by police. Block residents outline a culture of police regularly "disappearing" young people from the Block for periods of 1/2 - 2 days.

Not content with the death of TJ, and the attacks on the Block thus far, the police instigated sweeping arrests through the Block. TJ's aunt was arrested and denied bail to attend TJ's funeral.

NAP spokesperson Gary Meyerhoff said “ indigenous youth in the Northern Territory are subject to the same zero tolerance policing mentality as the kids in Redfern. NAP support the Redfern Community’s demand for a National Royal Commission into the current policing of Indigenous youth. Tomorrow’s solidarity vigil is an opportunity for the Darwin community to show their support for the Redfern mob.”

Mr Munro has asked that Aboriginal people across Australia take up this issue and in solidarity with the "Block" community march on every Parliament House in Australia on the 24th March, demanding the immediate establishment of a National Royal Commission into the current policing of Aboriginal youth."

The vigil will take place on the steps of the NT Parliament House at 12. Protest organisers will deliver a letter demanding the national royal commission to Darwin based members of the Federal Government Dave Tollner and Nigel Scullion.

For more info call Gary on 0415 16 2525 or see

The Block - http://www.isis.aust.com/theblock/tj.htm

Darwin rally flier - http://www.country-liberal-party.com/images/TJ-Rally-poster-web.jpg

Network Against Prohibition – http://www.napnt.org