News in brief

Hickey march scuffle

Two protestors were apprehended by police and a minor brawl disrupted traffic in Sydney’s CBD last Friday during the annual rally to protest the death of Aboriginal teenager TJ Hickey ten years ago.

Redfern Police Commander, Detective Superintendent Luke Freudenstein, told reporters that no-one was arrested but several people carrying signs may be charged under NSW offensive language laws.

TJ Hickey died in 2004 when he fell from his bike and was impaled on a fence in Redfern after a police pursuit.

Brothel fight continues

Consent for a brothel on Harris Street, Pyrmont will be decided in the Land and Environment Court after an on-site conciliation failed to reach agreement, City News understands.

The development application was recommended for approval by City of Sydney council officers but rejected by councillors. The proposed site is only three doors from an existing brothel.

The applicant appealed that decision, but a meeting on Friday with council representatives did not produce an agreeable outcome. It will now proceed to a court hearing.

Peter Le Bas, principal at Turnbull Planning International which is representing the applicant, said the matter had not been finalised and declined to comment further.

Fred Nile’s rainbow

Christian Democrat leader Fred Nile raised a few eyebrows on Twitter last week after posting an image containing a rainbow. The words “Imagine…wholesome families” appeared with an arched, multi-coloured rainbow over the “gin” part of “imagine”.

The rainbow is an internationally-recognised symbol of the LGBTQI solidarity, while Mr Nile’s party is a vocal opponent of gay rights.

Mr Nile’s team later explained that the rainbow represents God’s convenant with Noah, that he was simply “reclaiming what is ours”.