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Four hundred angry people protested the police murder of Abdifatah Ahmed, a young Somali man, on April 22 in Naarm/Melbourne.

Two police shot Abdifatah three times on April 17 at 9pm, while he was suffering a psychotic episode. They had reportedly left their tasers and capsicum spray at the station.

A Somali spokesperson said the community is “appalled” that the Police Association of Victoria immediately defended the police who shot Abdifatah. A police spokesman said .

Many Somali speakers condemned the killing. “We want a transparent and independent investigation,” one said.

They said there is a lack of mental health services, despite the government saying it will spend more on mental healthcare.

“We need a triple zero number that calls on mental health workers, not police with guns. We don’t want this to happen again. We need services that are accessible and culturally appropriate,” Mohammad said.

A Somali woman said: “The time for talking is over. It is time for action. I have lived here for 18 years. I don’t want to see any more of this. This is straight out murder. We want justice.”

Maribyrnong Mayor Pradeep Tiwari is calling for an independent inquiry.

But a Somali Muslim leader said he was a hypocrite. “When speaking to the press a few days ago, he told them ‘a person lunged at our police’. That is hypocrisy. We have to recognise the humanity of Abdifatah.”

A First Nations spokesperson said: “This is a mental health issue. But the police will go after you, if you are black, homeless and poor.”

Another First Nations speaker said: “We get beat up by coppers. He [Abdifatah] was a gentle man and a nice guy. We all bleed and the colour is red. Black lives matter and all lives matter.”

A Somali woman, who works in the mental health sector, told the protest: “I see the treatment my patients receive from the police every day.

[Abdifatah] had only been here a few years. It’s very difficult for a refugee to adjust to a new country. They need support. He was having a psychotic episode. All they need is a familiar face from the community. They don’t need to see guns. They don’t want to see weapons pointed at their face.

“As a young mother of a teenage son, I am very afraid. Mental health does not have a skin colour. All the police showed him was danger, nothing about safety. There are so many ways he could have been saved.”

A young Somali man said: “I don’t feel safe. People who look like an African migrant are shot down in the street. Police need to be held accountable. We need justice. A lot of young people are suffering from mental health issues.”

After the speeches, the protest marched down Irving Street to the Footscray Police Station, where a dozen police stood outside on the footpath. More people then demanded justice and a full independent investigation.

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Photo: Coral Wynter

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Photo: Coral Wynter