Lex Wotton was the Palm Island guy thats been singled out and charged with 'rioting with destruction'.. even though it was a whole community who set alight and destroyed a police station, adjoining courthouse, a police residence and a vehicle.
The riot occured after the death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee, a 36-year-old Palm Island man who had been arrested for public nuisance by Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, the officer-in-charge of the Palm Island police.
The Assassination Collective and Powderfinger both have songs on their soon to be released and current albums, respectively about this case.
Within an hour of his arrest, Mulrunji lay dead on the floor of a police cell, a victim of massive internal injuries, including a ruptured spleen, four broken ribs and a liver that had been 'almost cleaved in two' from a huge compressive force.
A subsequent coronial inquest found that Snr Sgt Hurley was responsible for the death. It also uncovered numerous breaches of procedures by Queensland Police in the ensuing investigation.
The community erupted on November 26 - a week to the day after the death - after they were told at a town meeting than a pathologist's report had found Mulrunji's death was an accident, and Hurley got off
http://www.nit.com.au/breakingNews/story.aspx?id=16390
Much more information following the case can be found at here at Gary Foley's Koori History Website
A petition site where you can show your support
The Age story
It was an All-White Jury by the way...
that's fucked up
sure is.
apparently there is a protest at GPO next sat
the whole thing sucks
Well, I've read the book ''The Tall Man'' all about the death in custody there. There is no doubt Lex Wotton incited a riot, threatening to kill all the white people on the island. Some of the choice quotes include ''kill the white cunts!'' and ''kill the Captain Cook cunts!''. All of the whites on the island, not just the cops thought they were going to be killed. A truly apocalyptic scenario.
The bigger tragedy is how the policeman was acquited, thus showing how badly skewed the legal system is for Aborigines in Australia.
If you're fucked up and dispossessed the laws of the land should apply to you as much as anyone else. HOWEVER, it's our duty to try and stop the further dispossession and disenfranchisement of Aborigines.
I feel sorrowful for the dude and the whole situation.
How can we fix it m+n?
A lot came out of the trial that rips ''The Tall Man'' stuff to shreads... and most of those 'quotes' and the general vibe put out about Lex is totally up the wrong tree..
Lex wasnt universally liked on Palm Island.. and so there are local political reasons for people to speak ill of him. Also, many 'witnesses' proved to have given statements under duress.. and some gave accounts of events that they werent actually witness to.
He was actually an advocate for repecting the welbeing of the police on the island at the times of the riot.. etc etc
This website has many many reports from the trial. National Indigenous Times
I havnt seen it, but here is Lex in his own words talking about what happened on that day.
so why are cops seen differently in the eye of the law? i mean, here's someone who's obviously killed someone whilst drawing a salary from the taxpayer. surely he should be more accountable to the law.
you know, i couldn't give a shit if the guy was a serial rapist. you can't have cops getting away with murder, or manslaughter, or whatever the fuck. it doesn't fill me with confidence in the integrity of our police force.
(redundantly)
exactly!
That's essentially what The Tall Man said, but yet again the book highlights the disparity between these two societies and how the cards are stacked against Aborigines.
The fact that there is 'many' witnesses kind of puts the conspiracy theory to rest in my opinion. Intimidate one guy? Sure. Two? Believable, but when you start getting larger numbers it becomes less and less likely.
'many' in terms of the percentage of witnesses.. I actually dont know how many witnesses there were.. and I believe that there weren't many at all..
Would it be crass for Wifey to dedicate their cover of 'get me a shotgun kill all the whitey I see' to this case? The answer is yes but I think we still might do it.
andy!.. it should be done
Would it be crass for Wifey to dedicate their cover of 'get me a shotgun kill all the whitey I see' to this case? The answer is yes but I think we still might do it.
my god you guys are lame. what, are you first year uni students?
''These are the injuries sustained by black people at the hands of police in the days and months immediately surrounding the death in custody, and the uprising: Mulrunji Doomadgee suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured spleen a torn portal vein and a liver ''almost cleaved in two'' (it was held together by a couple of blood vessels). After his death, Mulrunji's son Eric hung himself from a tree on Palm Island. The man who lay in the cell next to Mulrunji and comforted him as he died -- Patrick Nugent -- has also taken his own life. In the course of his arrest, Lex Wotton was tasered, as was a second Aboriginal man.
Now these are the injuries police suffered at the hands of black people during the November 26, 2004 uprising: One officer was hit in the stomach with a rock. Another was hit in the hip. Both suffered bruising.''
I don't think Lex did the right thing, but I do think he did one of the few things that was available to the people of Palm Island to show their frustration. His punishment should not be this disproportionate.
Free Lex Wotton Facebook Group
This is fucking disgraceful.
Palm Island Cops to get bravery awards four days before Lex Wotton is sentanced
jesus!
got this today...
Hi everyone,
You have probably heard by now that Lex Wotton was sentenced today to 6 years, with a minimum of two to be served. for the best coverage of the case, please see The National Indigenous Times www.nit.com.au
But Lex is not giving up. There will be an appeal, and Lex and his family will need money to continue with the appeal, and to allow Lex to continue to see his family throughout the ordeal. 100% of this money goes to Lex's family. Please give today so we can continue to support Lex!
Bank name: Melbourne University Credit Union Limited
Account name: Free Lex Wotton
cuscau2sxxx (only if transferring from overseas)
BSB: 803-143
Account number: 13441 (all transfers)
And please please keep sending your emails of support to Lex at freelexwotton@gmail.com
We send a batch off every week to Lex and will continue to do so until he is free!
Thanks!
I was just about to post that info..
QUEENSLAND
Beautiful one day, a police state the next.