Friday, June 22, 2007

Justice for Mulrunji Doomadgee


Three years ago Chris Hurley killed Mulrunji Doomadgee.

Chris Hurley is a police officer, who arrested Mulrunji Doomadgee for 'Drunk and Disorderly Behaviour' - the criminality of being drunk often depends on the colour of your skin. How you get treated when you get arrested also depends on the colour of your skin. There was Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991, but 13 years later the recommendations had been ignored and Mulrunji Doomadgee died.

In police custody, he suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and a his liver was almost split in half.

Since his death, Mulrunji Doomadgee's family has fought for justice. The first police investigation was done by police officers who had dinner with Chris Hurley while they were 'investigating' the case. Last year the coroner decided that the police were responsible for Mulrunji Doomadgee's death.

On Wednesday the jury found Chris Hurley not guilty.

Mulrunji's death is a horrific, but it's just one of daily crimes against indigenous Australians. His arrest, his beating - they happen every day. The theft of land is what Australia is based on.

Then, yesterday, supposedly to protect children for sexual abuse the government announced a package of direct attacks on indigenous people. Most of which, like market rents, benefits, and land thefts - are simply neo-liberal attacks on people's basic subsistence.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:39 pm

    That joke is in pretty poor taste.

    The $7 million investigation and prosecution ironically proved Hurley innocent beyond reasonable doubt.

    There has been a lot of tragedy you shouldn't joke about it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nothing in this post was intended as a joke anonymous

    ReplyDelete