Racism and police brutality in Queensland
Dozens of Brisbane Murri community leaders gathered on Tuesday night in the southern suburb of Logan to organise support for Sheila Oakley, who was viciously tasered by police on the doorstep of her home on 6 February.
This was no accident by a rookie cop. The man who tasered Sheila in the eye and shoulder is a highly experienced, taser-use trainer. Community leader and meeting organiser Paul Butterworth expressed his disgust at the police’s action: “You wouldn’t do this to your dog”.
With the taser barb still in her eye, Sheila was pushed, shoved, sat on by four cops, handcuffed and wrapped up in sheets as a restraint before being put on an ambulance trolley.
Despite media stories to the contrary, neighbours who witnessed the assault say that Sheila was calm and did not attack the cops.
Sheila has now had surgery to remove the taser barb but requires more operations. She may never regain use of her left eye.
Sheila’s family and many in the community now fear a cover up. The promise of an internal investigation does nothing to encourage their confidence that justice will be done.
Who can blame them given the Queensland Police’s record of “investigating” countless cases of cop brutality. The perpetrators routinely get off scot free.
Sheila, her family and the community have every right to be sceptical this time around.
Spend a few minutes talking to any Murri in any Queensland community and you will hear the same stories of police violence, of harassment of adults, teens and young children and of manufactured and trumped-up charges. “This is reality; we live with this every single day of our lives here in Logan,” said Butterworth.
The situation has only got worse since the election of the Newman government. The police feel that they can act with impunity.
Murri community leaders spoke of the climate of fear in which they now live.
They talk of their children being followed to the local shop and of being pulled over for no reason.
One woman told Red Flag she was afraid to let her children go outside or walk to the shops by themselves.
They are afraid to speak up because they might be targeted next.
They have reason to be worried. Sheila’s neighbours who witnessed the event and spoke on TV about it have described in interviews that the police now appear to be targeting them. Police cars drive by their house several times a day sounding their sirens. Sheila’s neighbour told the ABC’s Francis Tapim:
“They [the cops] are not pulling anybody over or anything. They are trying to intimidate me for going on the news. We are moving – me and the missus and the kids. My fear is that it is going to come back on my missus’ family who can’t move; they have got to stay put.”
Community leaders have decided to take a stand against this latest police outrage. As one said, “The days of talking are over – we’ve been doing it since 1966”.
They have three main demands: public identification of the cop responsible; suspension and laying of charges against him; and an independent investigation, not an internal investigation with cops covering up for their mates.
A rally has been called for Saturday 15 February at 11am, assembling at 26 Jacaranda Avenue, Kingston.
Speeches will be followed by a march to the Logan police station. After the rally there will be a BBQ fundraiser to support Sheila and her family in their time of need. Everyone who wants to stand in solidarity with Brisbane’s Murri community needs to be there.
