Hundreds of angry community members have marched through a Melbourne mall where a man was fatally shot by police last week.
Abdifatah Ahmed was shot by two officers on Albert Street in Footscray about 9pm on April 17.
Victoria Police said the 35-year-old had charged at the officers with a knife and said their response to discharge their firearms was “appropriate”.
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Hundreds of outraged locals, including members of the Somali community and broader African Australian community congregated at Footscray Mall today calling for justice for Ahmed.
Handmade banners and signs with messages such as “mental health needs care, not bullets” led a sea of protesters who chanted “we want justice” as they marched through Footscray’s main streets.
Protesters at one stage clashed with police at the protest, and a small scuffled ensued, according to witnesses.
Community leaders have called for more culturally appropriate mental health support in Footscray, stressing Ahmed needed “treatment and care, not a gunshot”.
“What we are facing in Australia is not fair,” African Youth Collective chief executive Isaiah Alier Mashinkok said.
“Our people are dying every single day and there’s no one there, as an Australian person standing up saying why are the young people dying.”
Community leaders called for an independent investigation into Ahmed’s death, along with the release of body-worn camera footage from the two officers who fired the fatal shots.
Somali Community Inc president Farah Warsame said the police response “raised serious concerns”.
“Abdifatah was a son, a brother and a younger man in a clear distress. He needed care, kindness and support, not to be met with deadly force,” Warsame said.
“This tragedy also highlights bigger issues, like for example, over-policing, racial profiling and poor mental health responses when it comes to African-Australian communities.
“These are not new concerns. We have raised them before and we raise them again because of people’s lives.”
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Warsame called on the Victorian government to ensure a fully transparent investigation and provide regular training in de-escalation during mental health responses.
“We welcome the announcement of an investigation but we must be clear – this must be an independent investigation,” Warsame said.
“Transparency is key, we want to know if … options like Tasers were available or used.”
In a statement, Victoria Police said an investigation by the Homicide Squad with oversight from Professional Standards Command was ongoing.
“This will also ultimately be a matter independently reviewed for the Coroner,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
The force “strongly” rejected claims the shooting was racially motivated.
“These decisions are made in line with rigorous training police receive around dealing with armed offenders, with the safety of the community and our officers the number one priority,” the spokesperson said.
“This was an incident that could have impacted the safety of a large number of people who were in the area on the night.”
Police confirmed the officers did not have Tasers on them at the time of shooting.
“In relation to Tasers – these have now been rolled out to 60 per cent of frontline police, with the rollout on track to be completed by September 2026.
“The rollout is moving as fast as it possibly can, while ensuring every member who receives a Taser undergoes comprehensive physical and theoretical training and police stations are fitted out to safely store the devices.”
The two officers involved in the shooting are on leave, which is standard protocol, according to police.
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