Bring Them Home: Protestors march through Broome calling for answers about seven missing Indigenous men

Family members of seven missing Indigenous men were joined by hundreds of protestors in Broome on Wednesday, demanding police action to provide answers about their disappearances and “Bring Them Home”. Simultaneous rallies were also held in the Pilbara town of South Hedland, and Geraldton in the Mid West. The disappearances span 50 years across two States — with the latest just two months ago. They are Jimmy Taylor, 12, who was last seen in Derby in 1974; Jeremiah Rivers, 27, who was last seen in south-west Queensland in 2021; Wylie Oscar, 22, who went missing near Fitzroy Crossing in 2022; Wesley Lockyer, 30, who was last seen near Port Hedland in 2022 and Clinton Lockyer, 30, a week later who was last seen in Roebourne in 2022. In May, Brenton Shar, 37, was seen for the last time in Geraldton, and in April, 21-year-old Zane Stevens was last seen in Coconut Wells, north of Broome. The anger and despair of hundreds of marching protestors was palpable as many wiped away tears or yelled “I want him back” and “bring them home”. Zane Stevens’ family organised the Broome rally, with his Aunty Tania Stevens saying the protest was about “families coming together to find out what happened to their boys”. She said Zane’s disappearance had permanently damaged their family, pleading: “How are we going to explain to a two-year-old girl she’s not going to see her father again?”. Ms Stevens claimed there was a racial component to what she described as a “lack of resources” pooled by police for the search for Zane and the other missing Aboriginal men. “If it was a non-Indigenous person they (police) would have all the resources,” she said. “Because it’s an Aboriginal person, we don’t have those resources and our families are struggling financially (to keep searching).” Dianne Bin Sali, who is Aunty to both Zane and Wesley Lockyer, said the men should not be categorised as missing and left to languish on the missing persons register. “We as their family think they have been killed, so where are the bodies?” Ms Bin Sali. Like Ms Bin Sali, many believe their lost family members have met with foul play. Nyamba Buru Yawuru chief operating officer Taliah Payne, who is personally connected with two of the missing men, said the term “missing” was insulting for the families of the seven men. Gathering at Town Beach following the march, Ms Payne said it was “not a peaceful word for us”. “For these young men that word is filled with frustration and anger because they should be brought home,” she said. Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Cultural Centre chief executive Peter Murray said the men’s families have “worked tirelessly to find answers, and have relied on their communities but seem to (have) hit rock bottom”. “There are no leads to this. All anyone can say is he just went walkabout and never came home,” Mr Murray said. Kimberley District Police Superintendent Steven Thompson, who was invited by Zane’s family to attend the rally, said the “police force’s hearts go out to all the families who are missing loved ones”. “In part of supporting Zane’s family today, we are here to reinvigorate the message that if anyone has information regarding Zane going missing to contact police”. But it’s little comfort to family members whose growing anger and questions about their loved ones’ whereabouts remain unanswered. Tania Stevens believes the justice system has failed her nephew. “When you’re working with the justice system, it’s all excuses, excuses. “We’re looking for a person, we want closure, we want Zane!”