Protesters urge new inquest into Hickey death

Published: 12:27:56 PM, Thu 14 February 2013 UTC

Protesters called for an inquest into the death of Aboriginal teenager TJ Hickey to be reopened as they rallied in inner Sydney to mark nine years since his death.

The demonstrators brought Cleveland Street in Redfern to a standstill as they marched from The Block to Parliament House.

The 17-year-old died when he was impaled on a fence in 2004.

His parents and the local community blamed police, sparking the Redfern riots.

An inquest cleared police of any role in his death, but rally organiser Ray Jackson says it is time for the case to be reopened.

"I'm disgusted - this is supposed to be a country that has justice for all," he said.

"After nine years we'd like the New South Wales Government to take some notice of what the people are saying.

"We have contacted the Attorney-General Greg Smith. We've asked him to accept the petition we have here today, numbering roughly 1,300 (signatures)."

Local Indigenous leader Jenny Munro says for too long her community has lived with "that fear of when someone's going to come knocking at your door and say, 'this is what happened to your child at the hands of the police'."

Tags: new south wales, parliament house, arts_entertainment, attorney-general greg smith, inquest, death, protesters, south wales government, teenager tj hickey, community blamed police, rally organiser ray, new inquest, leader jenny munro, redfern riots, hickey death, inner sydney, cleveland street, long her community, standstill, the block, redfern, new south wales, 2004 redfern riots, 2005 cronulla riots, redfern railway station, sydney, 2004 in australia, 2004 palm island death in custody

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