Heavy police presence at TJ Hickey march

“TJ was a death in custody simply because the police were mad at a kid on a bike”, said Bowie Hickey, addressing a crowd of 150 at Redfern on 14 February – where people have gathered every year in the 11 that have passed since Thomas TJ Hickey died there. Seventeen years old, TJ was impaled on a fence after coming off his bicycle during a police pursuit. Not one police officer has been held to account or charged over his death.

“For 11 years the Hickey family has been crucified by the cops, [shock] jocks, the jail system, housing commission ... Why? Because we won’t stop talking about TJ”, continued Bowie, TJ’s aunt.

The police had tried to stop the protest, dragging organisers from the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) into the NSW Supreme Court the day before the rally. Not deterred, the Hickey family, supporters and anti-racist campaigners went ahead. They were confronted by a brutish police presence on the day. Placards and banners deemed offensive were torn from the hands of their owners and disposed of.

Clearly shocked by the police response, Greens MLC David Shoebridge said: “I never thought it would come to this where we see police tearing down signs simply because it offends the police. Maybe it is offensive for police for TJ’s family to say that they think the police killed TJ.

“Well it’s time they got over that offence and deal with the core problem here: that Aboriginal people know that they are second class citizens in this country, that Aboriginal people are getting organised, getting together and demanding some kind of equality.”

Ray Jackson, ISJA president, told the crowd that the Hickey family wanted a permanent marker to commemorate TJ. Pointing to a hand-painted placard, he said: “If you look over there under that tree, you will see the sign that has created this spot as an Aboriginal site of significance as we wish to rename this spot as TJ Hickey Park.

“The fact that we have to go through this, for the 11th time today shows quiet clearly where justice is in this country. There is none for Aboriginal people … Aboriginal people go through this shit every day and the arrogant bastard cops try to stand over and take from us our human rights. We will not bow to their rule, ever.”

Speaking to Red Flag, TJ’s mother Gail Hickey said she wanted the police to be held to account and for the right to place a small plaque on the fence where he died. “All we want is justice for my son”.

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Dave Clarke is a member of the Indigenous Social Justice Association.