Free Lex Wotton NOW- International Day of Action

International day of Action called to coincide with the day that Lex Wotton is scheduled to have a sentence hearing in Townsville.

On Friday 24th October an all white jury found Lex Wotton, an Aboriginal man from Palm Island, guilty of 'rioting with destruction' for his involvement in the 2004 Palm Island uprising. On November 26th 2004 the people of Palm Island set fire to the local police station, court house and police barracks after a pathologist's report claimed that the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee, a 36 year old local, in police custody a week earlier was an 'accident'.

Mulrunji died in a police cell, one hour after he had been arrested for being drunk. He suffered massive internal injuries, including a ruptured spleen, four broken ribs and a 'liver that had been 'almost cleaved in two' from a huge compressive force.'

The officer who arrested him, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, claimed that Mulrunji had fallen on stairs. A coroner's inquest found that Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley was responsible for Mulrunji's death, as the injuries were consistent with a beating. However, a court found Hurley not guilty for manslaughter. He has since been promoted and is an Inspector on the Gold Coast.

In comparison Lex Wotton is now facing a life sentence in prison. He is being held in prison until his next court appearance in the Townsville District Court today.

International Day of Action Free Lex Wotton NOW rallies will be held in

Brisbane, Sydney, Alice Springs, Melbourne, Auckland, London, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Sweden

The rally in Melbourne is endorsed by Lex's family, and it is has an Aboriginal Sovereignty focus to show solidarity with Lex and to continue the struggle for Indigenous Self Determination & Sovereignty.

We will support Lex, his family and the Palm Island Mob, with culture, ceremony,deadly speakers, & music, Lex's family requested solidarity, calm and dignity and that's what we intend to give Lex and his family, all over the world on the7th of November

The whole world is watching Australia, Free Lex Wotton NOW!

For more information contact: freelexwotton(*)gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32952863226

We pay our respect to elders past and present and acknowledge that this gathering takes place on unceeded Wurundjeri land.

Music ⓒ Stand Up (Radio Edit) Blue King Brown

The colonial world is a world cut in two. The dividing line, the frontiers are shown by barracks and police stations. In the colonies it is the policeman and the soldier who are the official, instituted go-betweens, the spokesmen of the settler and his rule of oppression.... (Fanon)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Free
• Lex
• Wotton
• Indigenous
• solidarity
• Racism
• Queensland
• Palm
• Island
• Aboriginal
• Genocide
• Australia

[dlowe286]

Good news ... Lex has been released on parole, but ...

See Townsville Bulletin 20 July 2010 ... Wooton media gag outrages activists ...

"Despite his early release, activists have expressed outrage at his parole conditions which include that he is not to attend public meetings on Palm Island without prior approval; that he must attend the Men's/Elders' Group; is prohibited from gambling or attending any premises where gambling is conducted and cannot speak with the media."

[Uriohau]

@dlowe286 Yes its fantastic that he has been released from jail. There is a facebook group Lex Wotton with with updates & support for Lex & his family. The next fight will be to overturn this punitive gagging condition attached to his parole. Thanks 4 your comment.

[Uriohau]

The colonial world is a world cut in two. The dividing line, the frontiers are shown by barracks and police stations. In the colonies it is the policeman and the soldier who are the official, instituted go-betweens, the spokesmen of the settler and his rule of oppression.... (Fanon)

[Inconvenientruths]

Well I guess people supported other criminals like Ned Kelly and Brendan Abbott although I doubt if they had the sort of hate old mate here has sliding thru his blood.

I am not sure what the problem is here with talk about justice, this prick tried to murder 14 people and was quite evidently responsible for, if not actually doing it , then inciting other pieces of shyte to burn public buildings.

The prick should pay just like any whitey would.

[peterjones771]

FUCK THE COONS

[errortable]

While it's great that Mr Wooten can now live life on the outside, the gag conditions are apalling. Lex Wooten is a public figure , like it or not he is an important and valuable person. The rest of those among us closing our eyes to the on going injustice towards Aborigines is just as damaging for us as it is them. Why can't people take the blindfold off and see the obvious. Lex Wooten's jailing was the continuation of the brutal in custody killing of Mulrunji Doomadgee. WAKE UP PEOPLE !!!!!

[errortable]

@Uriohau & @dlowe286 , I am so glad that Lex has been released. Thanks to God above for this. Hopefully he and his family can begin to rebuild their lives. I still marvel at the lack of protest and sympathy for Lex and his family when he was jailed. Yet a hateful , selfish, disruptive and racist woman like Pauline Hanson can get so much out pouring of public sympathy for an 18 month sentence when Lex gets nothing for 7 years. Now Hanson can prance around like a celebrity. Not poor Lex!

[Kerbinpro]

I must admit that not only myself but the majority of Australians got it wrong, but to me it looked like him outside the Palm Island Police Station and in news pics it looks like him starting all the shit that led to the attempted murder of all the coppers and the arson of the buildings!

[casting4325]

@errortable I agree but what has happened to Lex is just another symtom of the underlying problem.The bigger problem.There will be more Lex Wootens if things do not change. No HUMAN RIGHTS for the Original peop;e & the COLONIALISM mindset running things are the core issues.But correct we cannot forget abour Lex who is a politcal prisoner.

[errortable]

@casting4325 , We shouldn't give up on Lex Wootton. This is the most unjust jailing of someone that I have seen in recent years. The time to free Lex Wotton is now !

[casting4325]

Right on errortable.

Have you seen recently that Rubin "the Hurricane" Carter is in Australia to promote wrongful incarcerations.

Well he should start with Lex.