workingclasshistory:

On this day, 15 February 2004, rioting broke out in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, Australia, following the death of Thomas “TJ” Hickey, a 17 year old Aboriginal Australian, the previous day. Hickey’s family and the local community claim that he was being chased by a police vehicle when his bicycle was either clipped by the vehicle or crashed and he was killed after being impaled on a fence. Police claim they just happened to be driving by when a freak bike accident occurred, to widespread disbelief. But officers did lift Hickley off the fence, which goes against standard first-aid practices as it can cause people to bleed to death. Around 100 people, mostly Aboriginal young people, but with some other supporters, angry at the death and police harassment in general, took to the streets and attacked officers with rocks, petrol bombs and fireworks. Clashes continued until the following morning. Many subsequent protests were also held demanding justice, and the dropping of charges against those arrested during the riots.
More info, sources and map on our Stories web app: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8666/redfern-riots https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.1819457841572691/2210492399135898/?type=3