Invasion Day Protests

Invasion Day drew around a thousand people in Brisbane in blazing heat. Murris, friends and supporters of the first Australians were joined by people from all over the country, including a big contingent from the Sydney Koori community and Lex Wotton. the man charged with inciting the 2004 riot on Palm Island…

The crowd shouted a whoop of joy when the Doomagee’s lawyer, Andrew Boe, announced that the Queensland Attorney Generals department had announced that morning to charge Senior Sargent Chris Hurley with Manslaughter over the 2004 death of Mulrinji Doomagee. Doomagee’s death sparked a riot that culminated in the burning down of the Palm Island police station. Boe warned that it was important now for commentators on the case not to prejudice the outcome by making strong statements of conjecture about the guilt or otherwise of Hurley.

The Attorney General’s department has come to this decision after calls for justice from the Palm Island community and nationally. It comes in the wake of the Department’s previous decision not to charge Hurley, Director of Public Prosecution Leanne Clare saying his death was “a terrible accident”. The local indigenous community had rejected a second inquiry which they felt would not result in widespread justice for indigenous people as a whole. However, Sir Laurence Street found there was enough evidence to charge Sen-Sgt Chris Hurley over the death. At an earlier inquest, deputy state coroner Christine Clements had found Hurley responsible for Doomagee’s death.