[Onthebarricades] Fw: [BlackGreen)] Palm Islanders cleared over riot

[Andy]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <browndavis at optusnet.com.au>
To: <blackgreensolidarity at perthimc.asn.au>
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 11:27 PM
Subject: [BlackGreen)] Palm Islanders cleared over riot


> Palm Islanders cleared over riot
>
> * Kevin Meade
> * March 23, 2007
>
> FOUR Palm Island men were yesterday cleared of involvement in a riot
> sparked by the death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee.
> A Brisbane Supreme Court jury deliberated for two days before
> acquitting them.
>
> William Neville Blackman, 36, John Major Clumpoint, 40, Dwayne Daniel
> Blanket, 26, and Lance Gabriel Poynter, 34, had pleaded not guilty
> early this month to rioting causing destruction.
>
> The riot erupted on November 26, 2004, a week after the death of Doomadgee 
> in a police cell at Palm Island, 40km off Townsville, the trial was told.
>
> Islanders attending a meeting to hear the results of an autopsy on
> Doomadgee's death grew angry on hearing a finding that he had died
> accidentally.
>
> Rioters marched on the police station and burned it down.
>
> They also burned the court house, a police dwelling and a police car.
>
> However, the prosecution did not allege during the trial that any of
> the four accused men lit the fires.
>
> Prosecutor Michael Cowan said the Crown case was that the four were
> part of a joint enterprise and the fires were a probable result.
>
> Mr Blanket's defence barrister, Mark Green, said in his final address
> that the prosecution had painted the accused as being part of a crowd
> that marched on the police station with a common purpose and
> "celebrated in the flames".
>
> But Mr Green said many in the crowd were simply "looking for answers"
> about Doomadgee's death.
>
> Outside court, Mr Poynter was asked if his faith in the justice system
> had been restored.
>
> "Yeah, down in Brisbane, anyway," he replied, in a reference to the
> fact that the trial was held in Brisbane instead of Townsville because
> a survey found that most residents of the north Queensland city had
> racist attitudes towards Palm Island Aborigines.
>
> Mr Poynter said he could hardly wait to get back to Palm Island.
>
> "We've been taken away from our families and our homes and our
> environment and chucked into a big city like this," Mr Poynter said.
>
> "We're glad this is all over."
>
> Former Palm Island police officer Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley has
> been charged with the manslaughter of Doomadgee and will face trial in
> Townsville this year
>
>
> 
> *****************
>
> As Indigenous peoples, the way to recovering freedom and power and 
> happiness is clear: it is time for each one of us to make the commitment 
> to transcend colonialism as people, and for us to work
> together as peoples to become forces of Indigenous truth against the lie 
> of colonialism.
> Taiaiake Alfred
>
> http://aotearoa.wellington.net.nz/back/intro.htm
> http://blackgst.revolt.org/
> http://itwillbethundering.resist.ca/
> http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/23/1446238&mode=thread&tid=25
>
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