Death of Marcus Omofuma (1973-1999)

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Demonstration Event to commemorate 20 Years of Marcus Omofuma's Death

Marcus Omofuma (10 May 1973 – 1 May 1999) was a Nigerian asylum seeker in Austria who died as a result of police violence while being deported. His death became an emblem of anti-racist protests in Austria. [1]

In May 1999, the 25-year-old Nigerian asylum-seeker, Marcus Omofuma, was deported from Vienna airport by three police officers. He was reportedly gagged and tied on the aeroplane 'like a mummy attached to the seat' with sticky tape. He did not survive the journey. [2]

How Omofuma Died

On 1 May 1999, Marcus Omofuma was just 25 years old. As he arrived at Vienna airport, the police tried to take him from the bus to the aircraft, but Omufuma didn't want to enter. At least that was what the three policemen would say today. Then, they tied up Omofuma and they were pulling him, so he couldn’t walk in the plane anymore. The other passengers later testified before the court that Marcus Omofuma was not a threat at all.

The police, however, handle him with growing brutality: not only did they tie Omofuma up, but they also taped his mouth, stick one nostril shut, and restrict his chest. The three policemen did not use official police supplies, but privately acquired utensils: leucoplast, adhesive tapes, and Velcro tapes. [3]

Omofuma attempted to resist and was tied to his seat with sticky tape, leaving him unable to move. He was gagged, his breath was heavily blocked, and he died whilst on the airplane. One week later, after the African group took to the streets and 3,000 protesters marched against "racist police terror", the police replied with one of Austria's biggest criminal investigation activities, Operation Spring, on 27 May 1999. Eight hundred and fifty police officers raided the homes of African demonstrators, including immigrants, and arrested 127 of them, who were then portrayed as suspects by the newspapers. [4]

How it Ended

In the Omofuma case, the three officers were found guilty of reckless murder but were absolved of torture leading to death. Those officers have received suspended terms.

An EU-wide survey by the Vienna-based EU Fundamental Rights Agency showed that 55% of minorities and immigrants claim that "discrimination based on ethnic origin is widespread in their country."

The poll, which surveyed 23,500 people from ethnic and refugee minorities across the 27-nation European Union, also showed that the Gypsies and Africans reported the most abuse and that many victims had "lack of confidence" in government anti-racism policies. [5]


Reference

  1. Marcus Omofuma. en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved on February 3, 2021.
  2. Amnesty International. Austria: Incidents of police brutality continue. July 13, 2000. Amnesty.org. Retrieved on February 3, 2021.
  3. . Racism Kills Across The World: Four Stories Of Police Brutality We Will Never Forget. June 6, 2020. scoop.co.nz. Retrieved on February 3, 2021.
  4. . Hafez, Farid. Black Lives Matter – In Austria Too. botstiberbiaas.org. Retrieved on February 3, 2021.
  5. . Strauss, Lilli. Attack on U.S. man in Austria brings up racism. June 22, 2009. nbcnews.com. Retrieved on February 3, 2021.