Police run as Palm Is rioters torch buildings
27.11.2004
RIOTING mobs, protesting over the death of an Aboriginal man in custody, yesterday burnt down a courthouse and a police station and barracks and threatened to kill officers on Queensland's Palm Island.
Up to 300 residents armed with petrol bombs and other improvised weapons rampaged across the island off the north Queensland coast, angry at the result of an autopsy into the death of islander Cameron Doomadgee.
As Premier Peter Beattie pleaded for calm late yesterday, more than 100 police -- including a contingent of the state's elite Tactical Response Group -- were sent to the island to restore order and secure the airstrip.
The coroner's report said Doomadgee had suffered four broken ribs, which had ruptured his liver and spleen.
Doomadgee, 36, died at about 11.20am on November 19, an hour after being picked up by police for causing a public nuisance.
Coroner Michael Barnes told Doomadgee's family his death was the result of ``an intra-abdominal hemorrhage caused by a ruptured liver and portal vein''.
Islander Roy Branwell, who was in an adjoining cell when Doomadgee was locked up, claims he saw police assaulting him, sitting on his chest punching him, and calling out ``Have you had enough now Doomadgee, have you had enough?''
After Palm Island Council chairwoman Erykah Kyle read out the autopsy details to a public gathering in Palm Island's shopping precinct, a succession of angry young Aboriginal men took the microphone and incited the crown to take action against the police.
One man repeatedly branded Doomadgee's death ``cold-blooded murder''.
Robert Blackley, a former Palm Island mayor and adviser to Queensland Police Minister Judy Spence, described the events that followed to The Australian last night. ``When it (the autopsy finding) was read out, things went crazy,'' Mr Blackley said.
``Some 200 men, women and kids stormed the courthouse and burnt it down and then attacked the police station, burning it too.
``The police ran into the residential barracks, but the last bloke was too slow and could not lock the gate, so the locals got in there and wrecked it from the outside, and then set it alight.
``The police took off to the hospital and barricaded themselves in there.
``One wife of a policeman who was very heavily pregnant was with them for protection.''
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The police who arrested Doomadgee, Senior-Sergeant Chris Hurley and police liaison officer Lloyd Bengaroo, were flown off the island on Monday after threats were made against them.
Mr Blackley said 800 litres of fuel had been stolen from the local service station early in the week.
It had been hidden on the island and used yesterday to make Molotov cocktails with beer and soft-drink bottles.
The rioters also drove cars and machinery on to the runway, blocking any aircraft movement.
They even stoned a volunteer fire brigade, comprising five Aboriginal men, when they tried to put out the courthouse and police station fires.
A Palm Island woman told of a police car blowing up before her eyes.
``As I am talking to you I can see the crowds of children looting the police barracks and the police car was set alight and it just blew up,'' she said.
Mr Blackley, who said there were ``firearms all over the island'', said the situation was most serious at the hospital, where 18 police had taken refuge. He said locals were yelling for them to come out and were saying the police ``were going to be bashed''.
Mr Blackley said the situation had been ``badly handled''.
``All it would have taken was for the Government to come here during the week, speak calmly to the council, Cameron's family, and the locals and this could have been avoided,'' he said.
``Instead, their response was to bring in another dozen or more coppers which just inflamed the situation, and now we have this disaster.''
Late yesterday, 80 police from Townsville and Cairns were flown to the island to restore order. Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson flew from Brisbane to Townsville and is expected at Palm Island this morning.
The coroner, Mr Barnes, said his autopsy report was ``far too sensitive and private'' to be publicly released.
He said a more formal inquest into the matter would be convened ``as soon as all necessary investigative steps have been completed''.
He said the forensic pathologist was of the opinion Doomadgee's injuries were consistent with him and the policeman with whom he was known to have been struggling ``falling onto a hard surface such as the steps outside the watch house''.
Mr Atkinson said: ``It's my understanding that it is entirely consistent with the circumstances which police allege occurred -- that what happened was that when the person who died was removed from the prison van, there was a scuffle initiated by the person who died, who allegedly punched the police officer in the head. There was a scuffle, and the police officer and the person who died then fell to the ground on some concrete steps.''
Mr Beattie called on Aboriginal elders on the island to show leadership.
``This is a real chance for indigenous leaders to lead and it is very important that they do so,'' he said. ``We don't have one law for whites and one law for blacks, we have one law for Queenslanders.''
