Community organisation Justice not Jails held a demonstration for hours in Darwin on Tuesday morning, dropping two banners from the Ludmilla footbridge in solidarity with the grieving family and community of Yuendumu: "We Stand With Yuendumu" and "Justice For White".
The group noted in a statement that Kumanjayi White was a vulnerable man seeking food and care who was met with force and killed in police custody in Mparntwe/Alice Springs last month.
Justice not Jails noted that in an open letter published this weekend, Warlpiri Elder Ned Hargraves reaffirmed the family's demand for an independent investigation into Kumanjayi White's death.
More than 760 letters were presented at Parliament last week supporting the family's demands.
The organisation noted that NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiario has "refused to relinquish control over the investigation, expressing her solidarity with police and describing the calls for an independent investigation as 'uneducated' and 'appalling'".
The CLP Government has also announced the scrapping of review into systemic racism within the police force.
Justice not Jails noted that the NT Police has "a history of racism and abuse" and police "cannot be trusted to investigate themselves".
"They are putting many oppressive policies onto us, creating an atmosphere of racism that killed my Jaja," said Uncle Ned Hargraves.
"The NT justice system is in crisis…the prisons are so full they need private security guards; guards on buses and public housing officers are being given guns — this madness must stop," said Uncle Ned.
"Now we demand action from Canberra to see that our rights are restored and we are protected from the racist CLP government."
A Justice not Jails spokesperson, Natalie Hunter, said there needs to be a vote of no confidence in the Chief Minister.
"She has expressed her solidarity with police instead of allowing an independent investigation into the killing of Kumanjayi White. The only one 'uneducated' is her, because she has no idea what it's like to be Aboriginal and no interest in working with us. The Federal Government needs to put the pressure on the NT Government," she said.
Another Justice not Jails representative, Selwyn Appo, said: "We cannot trust the police to investigate themselves — not when our people keep dying in their custody."
"The system protects its own, and our families are left with no justice, only grief. We demand an independent, transparent investigation led by people who understand the deep injustice our communities face — not by the very institution responsible for this death," he said.
"If the NT Government is intent on ignoring the hundreds of petitions demanding police not investigate police, then the Federal Government must turn up the pressure. It cannot stand by while the CLP refuses to listen."
