2004 Redfern riots
Encyclopedia
The Redfern Riots on the evening of Saturday 14 February 2004 was an event in the inner Sydney
suburb of Redfern
sparked by the death of Thomas 'TJ' Hickey, a 17 year old Indigenous Australian
.
The teenager was riding home on his bicycle from his mother's house when he was supposed to have spotted a police car and assumed it was chasing him. There was an outstanding arrest warrant in his name, but police have consistently maintained that the patrol car was searching for a different individual, wanted in connection with a violent bag snatch at Redfern railway station
earlier the same day.
Shortly thereafter, Hickey lost control of his bicycle while turning a corner and was impaled in a 2.5 metre high metal fence causing penetrating injuries of the neck and chest. According to the police, they arrived at the scene quickly, but were unable to save him as "The injury was probably non-survivable."
The Hickey family and supporters fiercely dispute this version of events, however. They claim that witnesses saw Hickey's bike clipped by the police car, thus propelling him onto the fence, a claim supported by the testimony of two Aboriginal Liaison Officers to a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the death. Neither of the Aboriginal Liaison Officers were present at the scene and one of the Aboriginal Liaison Officers, Paul Wilkinson was later judged as being 'well-versed in deception and motivated by self-interest' when receiving a 28 year custodial sentence for murdering his pregnant girlfriend and burning her body in the house he shared with his wife. Despite this new evidence leading to calls to re-open the coronial inquest, the New South Wales government has refused to do so.
Doubt remains over the veracity of some of the additional evidence, however, with one of the Aboriginal Police Liaison Officers (Paul James Wilkinson ) later admitting to the murder of his pregnant girlfriend five months prior to making the allegations. Wilkinson pleaded guilty to murder on November 12, 2008.
to grieve. Fliers were distributed blaming police for the death and discontented aboriginal youths gathered from across Sydney. The police closed the Eveleigh Street entrance to the station but the crowd had turned violent and began to throw bottles, bricks, used fireworks as missiles and Molotov cocktail
s. The violence escalated into a full-scale riot around The Block, during which Redfern railway station was briefly alight, suffering superficial damage. The riot continued into the early morning, until police used fire brigade water hoses to disperse the crowd. One car, stolen in a western suburb, was torched, and 40 police officers were injured.
, New South Wales
(Hickey's hometown), on 22 February 2004. Commemorative rallies have been held every year on the anniversary of the incident at the site of Hickey's death.
In 2005, the University of Technology Sydney's students' association donated a plaque with TJ's portrait, with an inscription reads: "On the 14th February, 2004, TJ Hickey, aged 17, was impaled upon the metal fence above, arising from a police pursuit. The young man died as a result of his wounds the next day. In our hearts you will stay TJ." Police, the NSW government and the Department of Housing have refused to allow the plaque to be placed on the wall below the fence where Hickey was impaled unless the words "police pursuit" were changed to "tragic accident", which the family has refused to do.
The parents Gail and Ian Hickey divorced in late 2006 two years after the death of Thomas Hickey.
Hickey supporters also claim that police have continued to harass the Hickey family, including the arrest of several family members and friends on 4 September 2010.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
suburb of Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
sparked by the death of Thomas 'TJ' Hickey, a 17 year old Indigenous Australian
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
The teenager was riding home on his bicycle from his mother's house when he was supposed to have spotted a police car and assumed it was chasing him. There was an outstanding arrest warrant in his name, but police have consistently maintained that the patrol car was searching for a different individual, wanted in connection with a violent bag snatch at Redfern railway station
Redfern railway station, Sydney
Redfern railway station is a major railway station in Redfern which is to the south of the Sydney city centre. It is a major connecting station for the CityRail network, as well as being the closest railway station to the University of Sydney...
earlier the same day.
Shortly thereafter, Hickey lost control of his bicycle while turning a corner and was impaled in a 2.5 metre high metal fence causing penetrating injuries of the neck and chest. According to the police, they arrived at the scene quickly, but were unable to save him as "The injury was probably non-survivable."
The Hickey family and supporters fiercely dispute this version of events, however. They claim that witnesses saw Hickey's bike clipped by the police car, thus propelling him onto the fence, a claim supported by the testimony of two Aboriginal Liaison Officers to a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the death. Neither of the Aboriginal Liaison Officers were present at the scene and one of the Aboriginal Liaison Officers, Paul Wilkinson was later judged as being 'well-versed in deception and motivated by self-interest' when receiving a 28 year custodial sentence for murdering his pregnant girlfriend and burning her body in the house he shared with his wife. Despite this new evidence leading to calls to re-open the coronial inquest, the New South Wales government has refused to do so.
Doubt remains over the veracity of some of the additional evidence, however, with one of the Aboriginal Police Liaison Officers (Paul James Wilkinson ) later admitting to the murder of his pregnant girlfriend five months prior to making the allegations. Wilkinson pleaded guilty to murder on November 12, 2008.
Redfern Riot
Friends and relatives gathered at The BlockThe Block (Sydney)
The Block is a colloquial but universally applied name given to a block of housing in Redfern Sydney. The block was purchased over a period of 30 years by the Aboriginal Housing Company for use as a project in Aboriginal-managed housing....
to grieve. Fliers were distributed blaming police for the death and discontented aboriginal youths gathered from across Sydney. The police closed the Eveleigh Street entrance to the station but the crowd had turned violent and began to throw bottles, bricks, used fireworks as missiles and Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s. The violence escalated into a full-scale riot around The Block, during which Redfern railway station was briefly alight, suffering superficial damage. The riot continued into the early morning, until police used fire brigade water hoses to disperse the crowd. One car, stolen in a western suburb, was torched, and 40 police officers were injured.
Events after the riot
A memorial service was held on 19 February 2004, in Redfern, and in WalgettWalgett, New South Wales
Walgett is a town in North-West New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi rivers and near the junction of the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(Hickey's hometown), on 22 February 2004. Commemorative rallies have been held every year on the anniversary of the incident at the site of Hickey's death.
In 2005, the University of Technology Sydney's students' association donated a plaque with TJ's portrait, with an inscription reads: "On the 14th February, 2004, TJ Hickey, aged 17, was impaled upon the metal fence above, arising from a police pursuit. The young man died as a result of his wounds the next day. In our hearts you will stay TJ." Police, the NSW government and the Department of Housing have refused to allow the plaque to be placed on the wall below the fence where Hickey was impaled unless the words "police pursuit" were changed to "tragic accident", which the family has refused to do.
The parents Gail and Ian Hickey divorced in late 2006 two years after the death of Thomas Hickey.
Hickey supporters also claim that police have continued to harass the Hickey family, including the arrest of several family members and friends on 4 September 2010.
See also
- 2005 Macquarie Fields riots2005 Macquarie Fields riotsThe Macquarie Fields riots were a series of disturbances across southwest Sydney in February 2005 which were referred to as a riot by both the Parliament of New South Wales and the media....
- 2005 Cronulla riots2005 Cronulla riotsThe 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of sectarian clashes and mob violence originating in Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs....
- 2004 Palm Island death in custody (riot)2004 Palm Island death in custodyThe 2004 Palm Island death in custody incident relates to the death of Palm Island, Queensland resident, Mulrunji on Friday, 19 November 2004 in a police cell. The death of Mulrunji led to civic disturbances on the island and a legal, political and media sensation that continued for three years...
- 2004 in Australia2004 in Australia-Incumbents:*Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II*Governor General – Michael Jeffery*Prime Minister – John Howard*Premier of New South Wales – Bob Carr*Premier of South Australia – Mike Rann*Premier of Queensland – Peter Beattie...
External links
- Redfern riots special (Sydney Morning Herald) - several stories surrounding the riots and its consequences.