Felix Riebl is the frontman of the Australian band The Cat Empire. Together with a fellow band member and an indigenous girls choir, he has recorded a new song that openly criticizes the treatment of people like Ms Dhu. The young indigenous woman was imprisoned for failing to pay fines, she died a few days later. It wasn't the first death of an Aboriginal Australian in custody, as stressed in Riebl's powerful song.
The protest song comes with a powerful video clip that highlights the long history of indigenous activism in Australia.
The song called 'Ms Dhu', was produced by The Cat Empire vocalist Felix Riebl in conjunction with the Marliya singers from the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir.
Ms Dhu, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons, died two days after being locked up at South Hedland Police Station in August 2014.
Ms Dhu's crime was outstanding fines worth $3622.
Riebl said he was travelling with the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir through the Pilbara region when he heard of Ms Dhu's story and was moved to write the song.
Carol Roe, Ms Dhu's grandmother, says she's reliving her grief at an inquest into her granddaughter's death.
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