Large crowds are gathering this weekend across the country in memory of an aboriginal man who died in custody in Alice Springs last week. The rallies are part of a 'national week of action' highlighting indigenous deaths in custody.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00There's a sense of sadness and grief reverberating at these rallies in memory of 24-year-old
00:07Kumijai White, who died during an attempted arrest at the Alice Springs Coles last week.
00:13His family have four main messages they want people to hear at these gatherings.
00:19They're calling for an independent body to investigate the death, saying they don't trust
00:23police. They also want to see CCTV of the incident. Third, they're calling for the
00:29officers involved to be stood down and finally are demanding the police force not make any
00:35commentary about Kumijai White that they say denigrates his character. At these vigils,
00:41Mr White has been remembered as a happy young man, someone who is much loved and dearly missed.
00:48He was known to live here in Alice Springs in supported accommodation. Because of his
00:53disabilities, he was unable to live on country in Yundamu, some 300 kilometres away.
00:58These rallies are part of a national week of action. They're being held across the country
01:04this weekend in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, in solidarity with Wolperi people,
01:10who have now lost two young men from Yundamu in custody in the past five years.
01:17Mr White's grandfather addressed crowds at the rally in Melbourne, thanking them for their support.
01:22We can't go on like this. Our children cannot be in fear, no matter what.
01:36We can't live like this. Our young people are fear.
01:46The NT police force has rejected calls for an independent body to investigate and says the
01:53coronial investigation into this incident has paused while a criminal investigation is carried out.
01:59The ABC understands one of the officers alleged to be involved is Police Prosecutor Stephen Haig.
02:06Neither of the police involved have been stood down and no charges have been laid.
02:11こんな態 of faith.
02:16I just want to play a single.
02:19The squad then runs out a lot of construction,