The Guardian 30 April, 2008
Union solidarity
for charged Palm Island man
On Friday April 18 in Brisbane, 25 trade unionists had lunch with Lex Wotton. The lunch was held at the Paddington Community Centre. Lex was arrested in connection with the protests and riots on Palm Island, off Queensland’s north coast, that followed a coroner’s report which found Mulrunji had suffered broken ribs and a ruptured liver and spleen portal vein.
Lex was charged with Riot Causing Destruction of Buildings, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. This is believed to be an old colonial statute.
Lex told those assembled about the conditions and events on Palm Island that had led to the charges being laid.
Lex is being defended by the League for the Defence of Indigenous People (formerly "the Errol Wyles Justice Foundation")
A press release from the League said:
"We are mindful of the just grievances of the residents of Palm Island, over the death in custody of their kinsman, Mulrunji Doomadgee on November 19, 2004 (the 241st black death in custody in Australia since 1990, for which no one has been put on trial. The officer accused of killing Mulrunji, Sergeant Chris Hurley, was not charged).
"It is recalled that the Indigenous persons protest was in reaction to the reasonable perception of Palm Islanders that the police had failed diligently, responsibly or fairly, to investigate the circumstances leading to Mulrunji’s death in custody and that their view has since been vindicated by the Acting State Coroner, Christine Clements, in her findings published on September 27, 2007 that the police investigation had been neither fair nor impartial."
It was by a set of circumstances that Lex had come to be on the island at the time of the alleged riot. He had nearly set foot on a plane to return to his job on the mainland as a plumber’s assistant. He was called back to fix a burst water main, the only other plumber had departed for the mainland on a previous flight. The pipe was in front of the police station. The media grabbed shots of Lex with a shovel in his hands and these exaggerated images appear to form the crux of the prosecution case.
What occurred on the Island at this time was a national disgrace. A State of Emergency was declared and the population was terrorised with the arrival of the Tactical Police Response units.
Children were held at gunpoint and many members of the same family were arrested and charged. Lex’s mother was amongst those subjected to this form of intimidation.
During his arrest by a large body of police Lex was Tasered. He was unarmed and not resisting. His children were told to lie on the ground and had firearms pointed at them.
Lex has already spent 80 days in jail. Like others, at the time he was convinced not to contest the charges but later changed his plea. At least four who have contested the charges have defeated them.
Trade unionists who gathered at the lunch called for the trade union movement to take up the call for the dropping of these charges and to allow Lex Wotton to get on with his life.
Those who feel that Lex should be released should write to the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh or e-mail her on ThePremier@premiers.qld.gov.au