Nicholas Malcolm Reed (left), who is also known as Wareywaa Kirlwil Yarrawirri, and Bruce Shillingsworth Jr, have been found guilty. Photos: Albert McKnight.
Supporters reacted with cries of dismay when it was announced that two protesters charged over the damaging fire at Canberra’s Old Parliament House had been found guilty of their roles.
Nicholas Malcolm Reed, also known as Wareywaa Kirlwil Yarrawirri, started the fire on 30 December 2021 and was helped by Bruce Shillingsworth Jr, jurors heard when their trial began in the ACT Supreme Court last week.
The jurors began deliberating on Friday (1 September) before returning to the courtroom on Monday morning (4 September). They announced Reed had been found guilty of arson while Shillingsworth had been found guilty of aiding and abetting arson.
Supporters of the two protesters were in the courtroom’s gallery and cried “no” and made loud sighs when the verdicts were delivered before one repeatedly pointed angrily at the jury.
Justice Mossop also has to determine several charges relating to summary offences. He said the sentencing of the pair would occur in late October.
The fire caused about $5 million worth of damage to the historic building.
Jurors heard Reed had used a wooden shield to carry hot coals from a fire used in a smoking ceremony to the front doors of the building, making the journey numerous times.
Meanwhile, Shillingsworth gestured at protesters to form a horseshoe at the portico outside the doors, which hid the fire from view and prevented police officers from approaching.
Numerous pieces of footage were screened to the jurors, taken by police and security cameras, as well as the protesters themselves, which showed the chaos surrounding the incident.
In a video taken the day before the fire, a man could be seen pointing at the doors of the building and saying to a crowd of protesters that they were “doors of injustice, doors of genocide”.
“This is the door we are going to go walk through together,” he said.
“We need to break these doors down together.
“Let’s knock this door down.”
In another video, the protesters repeatedly knocked on the doors and chanted while drums beat in the background.
Yet another video showed the protesters, with children present, painting the doors.
On the day of the incident, body-worn camera footage showed police officers approaching the protesters who linked their arms to surround the portico outside Old Parliament House, standing between the officers and the doors.
Protesters were shoving, shouting and filming with their phones while one played a drum in front of the officers.
A fire started at the Old Parliament House in December 2021. Photo: Supplied.
In some body-worn videos, Reed and Shillingsworth could be seen among the protesters while the flames burned the door in the background before the officers retreated inside the building.
The fire spread up the walls and to the roof of the portico and police withdrew after deciding the situation was too risky, then called the fire brigade.
Another video showed the flames against the door, which appeared to come from a fire made out of sticks, while protesters sang and stamped in the background.
Reed is from Victoria while Shillingsworth is from NSW.
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