Rabie Ridge community members went out in numbers on 5 September to march for justice for Nathaniel Julies, a 16-year-old boy who was shot dead in Eldorado Park.
There was nationwide outrage when Julies was killed on 26 August. Three police officers have been charged with murder. Members of the community gathered at Falcon Street, marching all the way to Freedom Drive and Modderfontain Road with placards seeking justice for the youngster.
Reverend Bishop Gabriel Fisher, senior pastor of New Birth Community Church in Rabie Ridge explained the importance of their march in commemoration of Julies. “Today it is his funeral, therefore, we thought that as a community we need to stand in solidarity with the community of Eldorado Park and also say that we want justice for Nathaniel Julies, who was [allegedly] shot by a police officer when he was unarmed.”
Fisher explained that the march was not a political one, but one for justice, “We have not come to a place as a community to say we want to politicise this, this is saying and standing as a Coloured community that we want justice.”
Fiona Buys, a Rabie Ridge community member also added, “I have decided to take part in the march, to stand in solidarity with the Eldorado community… We have decided to stand in solidarity with Eldorado Park because we feel their pain, Nathaniel could have been our son, or someone from here therefore we all decided to stand together.
“We believe it is important to send this message out because of the way in which Nathaniel died – at the hands of law enforcers, at the hands of people we expect to protect us, people that are supposed to take care of the country, the community and our children, and that didn’t happen. Instead, a life of a 16-year-old boy with down syndrome, who had a biscuit in his hand, unarmed, was taken,” said Buys.
The Rabie Ridge community members said that they hope justice will prevail.
