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On Friday morning, a large crowd of demonstrators assembled in a park near the Northern Territory (NT) Parliament House to voice their opposition to the swearing-in ceremony of NT Administrator David Connolly.
Protesters filled the forecourt with chants of “not my administrator” as Connolly arrived at the scene.
Authorities had used rope and bollards to section off the lawn in front of the NT Parliament. However, when Uncle Eric Fejo crossed this barrier, he was promptly detained by police and placed in a patrol vehicle.
This action heightened tensions, leading protesters to spill onto the streets. The crowd was then pushed back by police to clear a path for the exiting patrol car.
Expressing his dismay over the situation, NT Independent MP Yingiya Mark Guyula shared with NITV News his disappointment with the police’s conduct.
“Unbelievable, this is a leader of this land,” Mr Guyula said.
“Not to listen to the people of this land is just appalling.”
It follows months of building outcry from community members, politicians, and First Nations leaders over David Connolly’s appointment.
In January, a slew of now deleted social media posts made by Mr Connolly were labelled ‘racist, sexist and misogynistic’.
The posts include comments that mock Welcome to Country ceremonies, ridicule Indigenous languages, and joke about perpetrating domestic violence.
Mr Connolly was handpicked by the NT Government to become the 24th Administrator of the Northern Territory, a role equivalent to the Governor General who serves as the King’s representative.
Nyikina woman Natalie Hunter, who is part of the advocacy group Justice Not Jails, told NITV she feels Mr Connolly is “totally unfit” for the position.
“I am utterly disgusted that the Chief Minister continued to move forward with swearing him in today,” she said.
Earlier this week, a broad coalition of First Nations leaders, politicians and community advocates, penned an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for him to “urgently rescind” Mr Connolly’s appointment.
The Prime Minister has not responded but has previously said “there is no precedent whatsoever for the Commonwealth Government intervening in such a way”.
His Labor colleagues, Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs Malarndirri McCarthy, spoke at the protest to express their concerns.
Ms Scrymgour told NITV she also wrote to the Prime Minister to express concerns, and will continue to contest David Connolly’s appointment.
“Just because he is sworn in today doesn’t mean that I’m going to retreat and leave this issue,” she said.
After weeks of silence, David Connolly released a statement on Wednesday apologising for his past comments.
“I deeply regret the past social media posts I made,” he said.
“I am genuinely sorry for the hurt they may have caused members of the community.”
As he was sworn-in inside NT Parliament House, David Connolly gave his first address as administrator, where he said he was committed to moving forward with respect.
“Above all, I bring respect — respect for First Nations people and their enduring custodianship of this land for tens of thousands of years, respect for the law and our institutions that hold us together, respect for those who agree with me and those who do not,” he said.