Sydney Rally to Mark 10 Years Since David Dungay Jr's Death Amid Rising Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and New Protest Laws
A rally is planned in Sydney's Hyde Park to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of David Dungay Jr, a Dunghutti man who died at age 26 in Long Bay jail on 29 December 2015. The event will highlight both his family's ongoing fight for justice and broader issues affecting Aboriginal communities.
On 29 December 2025, about 80 people gathered at Kempsey police station on New South Wales’ mid-north coast to remember Dungay Jr and protest amid a rise in Aboriginal deaths in custody, which have reached a 45-year high. In the 2024-25 period, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accounted for 33 of 113 deaths in custody nationally, representing the highest yearly total since 1979-80, with NSW recording the most deaths.
Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, around 600 First Nations people had died in custody as of 30 June 2025.
A second rally is scheduled for 18 January 2026 in Sydney’s Hyde Park to mark the death anniversary of Dungay Jr. This rally and the upcoming 26 January Invasion Day Rally may be affected by recent New South Wales laws expanding police powers to ban protests for up to 14 days, and for up to three months after a terrorism determination.
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe criticized these new laws, arguing they undermine democratic rights and that peaceful protest is protected under international law. She warned that such powers are often used disproportionately against Indigenous communities.
Paul Silva, a spokesperson for the protesters, stated that if bans are imposed, activists will respond strategically and continue their campaign for justice.
