Protesters gathered at Sydney Town Hall on Gadigal land on June 18 to demand that police be prohibited from taking聽guns in to聽remote First Nations communities and for justice for Kumanjayi Walker, who was killed by police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019.
Yuendumu woman Aunty Audrey, the grandmother of Kumanjayi Walker, addressed the protest, as did聽family members of others who had been killed in custody.
The protest聽marked 15 years since the Northern Territory Intervention, when the John Howard government suspended the Racial Discrimination Act and sent armed forces to the NT to seize control of and destroy First Nations communities.
The Melbourne leg of the聽attracted more than 150 people to the State Library. Protesters called for 鈥渃easefire,聽no more police and no more guns in First Nations communities鈥. Organised by The Change: United Struggle聽Project,聽Abolish Cages and Borders, Solidarity Sound System, Wage Peace-Disrupt War and Peace in Papua, the protest聽marched down Swanston Street, chanting 鈥淣o justice, No peace, Disarm the police鈥.
, from Yuendumu where Kumanjayi Walker was shot,聽said police with guns only caused 鈥渇ear鈥. 鈥淲e cannot accept that anymore. We don't want to feel terrified in our own ngurra, our own home,鈥 he told聽SBS News.
Yuendemu Elders are demanding an end to Black deaths in custody, to stop racism in the court system, end all discriminatory NT Intervention powers, and First Nations control of communities.
