Protest at Aboriginal death in custody

by Peter — May 03, 2012

This footage shows the last part of a protest held at the Melbourne headquarters of security company G4S, parent of GSL, the company in whose care Aboriginal elder Mr Ward died on 27 January 2008. The protest coincided with similar action in WA, where the inquest was due to end today. The video shows protesters entering the building and delivering a letter of demands to a representative of the company.

There is comprehensive coverage of the circumstances of Mr Ward's death on the Safecom website - http://www.safecom.org.au/gsl-custody-death.htm

Here is part of a leaflet handed out at today's protest:

What G4S (the owners of GSL) say:

“G4S supports the principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and we are committed to upholding these principles in our policies, procedures and practices. Respect for human rights is and will remain integral to our operations”.

GSL has a history of human rights abuse:

27th January 2009 – Mr Ward is transported 380km in the back of a van in 42 degree heat with no working air-conditioning. He is given only a 600ml bottle of water and a pie for the journey, during which the GSL officers did not pause for a rest stop. Mr Ward collapses in the back of the van and dies soon afterwards at the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital.
2008 – GSL deny a 62-year-old detainee at Villawood detention centre medical attention for his heart condition for 3 months. The detainee dies of a heart attack.
2005 – GSL bungle a prisoner's delivery to Geelong County Court. As a result, a prisoner is forced to go without food or drink for seven-and-a-half hours.
2004 – Five detainees are injured after being transferred to the Baxter Detention Centre in an unsafe van with air-conditioning design faults. Detainees are denied access to toilets, forcing them to urinate in their compartments. GSL is fined $500,000 over the mistreatment of the detainees.

How is denying people necessarily medical attention, adequate food & water and safe transportation consistent with support for human rights!?

May 14 2009 is the day on which the Coronial Inquest into the death of Mr Ward is scheduled to end. While the responsibility for his death must lay with the State of Western Australia, GSL Australia must also be held to account.

This action is being held at the request of Mr Ward’s family in Warburton. It coincides with
a protest outside GSL’s Perth office organised by the WA Deaths in Custody Watch Committee.

The first part of today's protest in Melbourne, with speakers including a member of Mr Ward's family, will be posted as a separate video.

Video Info

Duration	03:11
Genres	News Report
Topics	Human Rights Indigenous Civil Liberties Racism Migrant Workers
Tags	Melbourne featured GSL Warburton
Country	Australia
Language	English
Producer	pc
Director	pc
Year produced	2009

Cite/attribute Resource. pc. (May 14, 2009). Protest at Aboriginal death in custody. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from EngageMedia Web site: http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/pc/videos/g4s-14may09-engagemedia.avi.

Anonymous says:

July 13, 2010

I as a white Australian am outraged at the DDP for not charging the company and the drivers with at least man Slater. This beautiful human being was basically cooked alive. WHERE IS THE DUTY OF CARE?????
Something must be done and I don't know what to do.
I'd like to put the whole lot of them in the back of the van and give them a pie,bottle of water and nothing else,and drive them in the same conditions. They even have air conditioning for dogs in Perth, who are going to the pound.
Please help!!! What a joke when the government talks of reconciliation,

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