Activists Renew Calls For Justice On 18th Anniversary Of TJ Hickey’s Death

A Sydney rally has taken place on Monday to commemorate the 18th anniversary of Indigenous teenager TJ Hickey’s death.

Hickey was chased by police in 2004, and died after the pursuing vehicle hit the 17-year-old’s bike next to Redfern Park, which hurled him onto a fence, and impaled him. His death triggered the nine-hour Redfern riots that year, where the local train station was set on fire, with more than 40 officers were injured.

Police maintain Hickey’s death was a ‘freak accident’, and the NSW Coroner at the time said there was no evidence that the boy was being pursued — a fact his family vehemently denies.

Protestors took to the streets of Redfern before marching the memorial to TJ Hickey Park in neighbouring Waterloo. The event focused on how there’s still been no one has ever been charged for Hickey’s death, and renewed calls to reopen the inquest that exonerated Redfern Police.

In attendance was the extended Hickey family, and his mother Gail, who gave a speech alongside community members and allies. An attendee told Junkee the police presence was sizeable, noting that it “felt like one cop for every protestor”, and recalling how officers were told they were not welcome, nor invited to the protest.

Last June, it was revealed that NSW Police made multiple calls to the City of Sydney to remove a mural in Redfern of a burning cop van spray-painted with TJ Hickey’s name, and a Black Lives Matter tag, by artist Scott Marsh.

The 30th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was marked in 2021, with many of the 339 recommendations made having still not been actioned.

“We still fighting for justice for my son, and will keep fighting,” said Gail Hickey on Sunday. “Let’s show Redfern police we still fighting and not giving up.”

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Photo Credit: James Branson/Junkee