PRESS STATEMENT
Queensland Police accused of brutality against Aboriginal leader Bob Weatherall and Daughter.
Aboriginal Leader Pepper Sprayed by Qld Police in Brisbane Sunday morning (24.2.08)
Queensland Aboriginal leader, Bob Weatherall and his daughter were last night assaulted by police in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
Mr Weatherall said today, “We were having a fun night out at the Troubadour watching one of our favourite bands, Texas Tea. A group of us then went on to the Not Quite 299 Club where a series of sick events unfurled instigated by their power hungry bouncers. Nelson, my daughter Yarraga’s partner, was hurrying up his mate to return inside the venue before lockdown at 3 am. The bouncer said they had 30 seconds. When they came to get in he said they were 1 second late. Yarraga, who was at the entrance, then wanted to speak to her partner when a venue employee grabbed her drink and poured it all over her. Police arrived almost immediately and arrested Nelson, handcuffing him and taking him off to the police beat. I then came to the door to find out what was going on and when I asked the bouncers police pulled me away and pepper sprayed me. Another friend was also sprayed while trying to protect me”.
Fans of the cream of Brisbane’s original singer songwriters, Texas Tea, crowded round in horror while events unfurled. They were outraged at the treatment of respected Aboriginal leader and musician.
Mr Weatherall was pepper-sprayed and then dragged 20 metres with his pants around his knees through the Brunswick Street mall. His daughter was also pepper-sprayed while trying to protect her father. Another friend was also sprayed while trying to assist and his brother was bashed by police and had to be hospitalised.
Both were taken to an amenities block adjacent to the Police Beat to wash the pepper spray out of their eyes. “I had my head split open by the police while trying to assist my daughter”. They were then charged and sent to the central watchhouse. They were left sopping wet and shivering for over 4 hours.
“Never in my thirty years of police relations have I been so brutalised by police. It seems like PIG CITY is alive and well in Brisbane. At no time was there any cause to use force”. The Aboriginal family were totally demeaned and heavy handed by a group of police
There were numerous witnesses to the event who will testify to the police brutality.Nelson was charged with commit public nuisanc Yarraga was charged with assault or obstruct a police officer
The black leader Bob Weatherall was charged with assault or obstruct a police officer and resisting authorised person after being refused entry to premises. He was in fact arrested when leaving premises, not trying to enter premises.
B Bob Weatherall
Ph: 0429 091 452; 3266 5474
This type of thing happens to Murries every night in the Valley.
Unfortunetely most do not challenge the charges as Bob and his family are. They appear in Murri court with a routine guilty plea (you dont get to Murri court unless you plead guilty). The Aboriginal legal service and Murri Court simply administer the systematic criminalisation of Murries. The Valley is the key catchment area in Brisbane for this criminalisation.
As the grog restrictions have been imposed on DOGIT settlements, drinkers have left there communities and many end up in towns, frequenting places like the Valley or Townsvilles parks.
Some magistrates are imposing bail restrictions on people, preventing them going to the Valley because there is such a high Aboriginal arrest rate there.
I should watch my language here, I notice two things occuring simultaneously. One is a police union campaign for mandatory detention for assaults on police, and also an increase of assault police charges in routine street arrests such as Bob’s family.
I fully endorse my police comrades right to a safe work environment, but the path to this end is through friendly cooperative relationships with Valley party goers, especially Aboriginal people. Anyone who knows Bob knows that he would have calmed the situation and negotiated peacefull response to whatever was alleged. But this was simply not an option it seems.
Petrol seems to be being thrown onto the fire in this regard as the police have become more aggressive in their own defensiveness, including the pepper sprays and tazers.
It is war in the streets, police dispersals of Aboriginal people just like it was since the beginning of the Brisbane colony. And it is not just Brisbane – Townsville, Mt. Isa, Cairns, Mareeba, many small towns and every Aboriginal settlement.
I wonder how many Murries around Australia were arrested during celebrations the night of Rudd’s apology?
Felt so sick to read this…and especially saddened for the loss of your dignity.It would appear that the cops (and bouncers) are now the thugs in our community. US trained, with immunity, of course.
Everything evil that is happening in our communities can be directly related to the US…and more is to come.
Read who George Scheff really is http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20070405.htm
and then you will understand a lot more. A hint: George H. Scherff, Jr., became the 41st President of the United States as GHW Bush and George H. Scherff, Sr., was Nicola Tesla’s “trusted assistant.”