Third Alice Springs vigil for Kumanjayi White held today

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Walpiri leaders have held a 'finishing up ceremony' in Alice Springs in a third vigil for Kumanjayi White. More than 100 family and community members gathered on the lawns of the Alice Springs court for the vigil.

Transcript

00:00It was an emotional vigil in honour of Kuminjai White.

00:05The 24-year-old passed away two weeks ago after he was restrained by two off-duty NT police officers in the local Coles supermarket.

00:14His family members travelled more than 300 kilometres to visit the place of his death,

00:19carrying out sacred cultural ceremonies and expressing their deep grief.

00:24The Luricha Walpuri Pintubi man lived in supported accommodation in Alice Springs.

00:29Because of his disabilities, he was unable to live on country in Yundamu.

00:34At the rally this afternoon, his loved ones raised questions about where his carers were at the time of his death.

00:40Why? Why this? We had to lose another young fella, a family, a young, just emerging.

00:51They continued calls for the officers involved to be stood down, for CCTV from Coles to be released to family,

00:58and for an independent body to take over the investigation as opposed to police investigating their own.

01:04This was the third vigil held in honour of Kuminjai White here in Alice Springs,

01:09significantly on the same lawns where Walpuri gathered every day of the coroner's inquiry

01:14into the 2019 death in custody of another young Walpuri Luricha man.

01:19Kuminjai Walker was shot by police in 2019.

01:23The findings in his case are due to be handed down next month.

01:27Kuminjai Walker was shot by police in SanJavi of

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