VIGIL FOR DAVID DUNGAY JNR
In the middle of the first lockdown of 2020 the world, well at least it seemed the western world became struck with a story of a racist fuelled murder by a police officer in America. It was simply heartbreaking and I don’t think it would have garnered as much attention if we weren’t all locked up confronting our own pain. Regardless I was personally confronted by this. It seemed so unfair and so unjust especially coming from someone who is claiming to be a protecter. So I was curious how we got so entangled by this, it wasn’t the first time this had happened by a long shot, turns out it wasn’t the last. Much like any public event likened to a lynching, something starts to break down in the structures holding pieces of society together.
This event was one of them, the world* siding with the victim and again maybe because we all felt victimised by the lockdowns, it didn’t matter. People were ready to stand up for this injustice.
As tensions started to flare across America, it was right here in Australia that we saw a demonstration so profound that I consider what i saw that day life changing.
Whilst the world would be shouting “I can’t breathe” the final words of this victim George Floyd there was a story that grew traction right here. It was the story of David Dungay Jnr. I guess that phrase was adapted in this political rally because it was also said to be David Dungay Jnr’s final words as a detainment officer held him down while he was in custody. To be honest i was so shocked when I heard this. As a huge rally was being planned in Sydney as a vigil for David Dungay Jnr something stirred in me, I just wanted to be a part of it, I needed to come face to face with his family and I wanted to know what they had to say.
Everything that needed to be said was written on their faces. I know pain, I know grief and I saw it on their faces that day.
While there was whispers amongst the press togs about the conflict between police and protesters I saw that as such a wasted, distracted story.
This was it. The country was watching. Can we not see the truth without the blur of political by-standing. Behind every distraction on that day I saw the reality where no one was watching. The lines and creases of each face, the downcast eyes only looking up to wipe their tears away.
This was enough of a story for me.
