Cassius Turvey's mother has led a march of thousands through Perth's CBD calling for "change in the name of Cassius" amid a national day of action around Australia in honour of her 15-year-old son.
Cassius died on October 23rd, 10 days after allegedly being attacked while walking after school in a north-eastern Perth suburb.
Police have charged a 21-year-old man with murder over the incident.
Speaking from a podium to the crowd, his mother, Mechelle Turvey, said "My boy talks to me every day through my heart," before reading out an excerpt from Cassius's first school report.
"Cassius often contributes to his peers successes with a positive attitude," she read.
Ms Turvey said Cassius would remain a role model for his friends and schoolmates.
"He died a leader. He will have followers."
Across the country, more than 40 similar rallies are expected to happen throughout the day.
"All the brothers and sisters have come out in solidarity, love, respect … non-Indigenous brothers and sisters have reached out [to organise rallies]," event organiser Megan Krakouer said.
Attendees in Perth clapped in rhythm along with traditional dance and song as the rally began.
Some had attended countless rallies in the past sparked by Indigenous deaths.
Others would only have memories of Cassius through stories told after his death.
Noongar woman Melissa Ryder attended the rally with her children, echoing words that Cassius's mother had spoken before: "Kids matter."
"Stand up, and say 'it's not okay'. Kids matter," she said.
The sound of a didgeridoo hummed over the crowd as they listened to speeches calling for "justice for Cassius".
"We are here to support the family, and support everyone. We don't want it to happen again ... we want to be walking free," Donna Pickett said.
"We want our koolungas — our children — to go wherever they want to be."
The crowd of thousands followed the lead of Cassius's mother and family as they marched through Perth CBD.
Cassius's death a 'human tragedy, says PM
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Cassius's life was "over all too soon".
"I think this is just such a human tragedy," he said on The Project.
"And for Cassius's mum, for people who knew this young man, you look at his smile and you think that is a life that should have been just beginning and it was over all too soon.
"I think that people expressing their concern about it is a good thing.
"We know that in terms of Indigenous people they are more likely to suffer violence in this country than non-Indigenous people.
"And so we need to acknowledge that, we need to do much better."
'Fly high with the ancestors, Cassius'
In Sydney, at least a thousand people — from all walks of life — gathered at the Town Hall to remember the 15-year-old.
Some of his family members from Western Australia were also in attendance.
They held candles to honour the Noongar teenager, some wrapped themselves in the Aboriginal flag, others held signs with the words 'Rest In Peace Cassius'.
A minute's silence was held in his honour before a prepared statement from Cassius' mother, Mechelle, was read out by speakers — as it was at other vigils across the country.
Wiradjuri woman Lynda-June Coe said Cassius represented "every single son, every brother, right across this vast continent".
"We will never forget him," she told the crowd.
"To our allies, you gotta stand up … you gotta stand up.
"Fly high with the ancestors, Cassius."
'Proud of my little cousin'
In Melbourne, the community gathered at the Aboriginal Advancement League at Thornbury in the city's north.
More than 1,000 people attended the vigil to pay their respects to Cassius.
Vigil organiser Sam May — a Whadjuck-Ballardong Noongar man and an older cousin of Cassius's — said he felt pride that the wider community had come to show their respects.
"It makes me proud. We shouldn't have to be here though, I really wish I wasn't," he said.
"But this moment makes me proud of my little cousin."
Mr May said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders across Australia were still processing the emotions from the incident.
"We've been angry for so long, but this is not about anger, it's about hurt," he said.
"This could have happened to anyone. Why did it have to happen to my cousin?"
Yorta-Yorta teenager Michael Illin-Lovett spoke to the Melbourne vigil about his own fears as an Aboriginal youth.
"I don't want to walk down the streets worrying about my family, worrying about you guys," he said.
"I just want to walk down the streets feeling proud to be an Aboriginal person."
Senator Lidia Thorpe urged young people in the Aboriginal community to not be afraid.
"To our young people here tonight, like Cassius, you are our dreaming children," Ms Thorpe said.
"We see you, we feel you and we are wrapping our arms around you too.
"I want all young people to know it is okay to feel how you are feeling, it is okay to cry, it is okay to hurt."
'We're here to stand as one'
More than 1,000 people gathered at King George Square in Brisbane to pay their respects to the Perth schoolboy.
A minute's silence was held in his honour and the large crowd held candles, signs and listened closely as community leaders gave speeches.
Georgina O'Neill attended the rally and said she hoped it would lead to action.
"I'm here to support the family and to support everybody that's going through this grief at the moment because it's affected not only us Aboriginal people but people worldwide," she said.
"We have to come together, we have to make our stand … we're here to stand as one."
'That breaks my heart'
In Adelaide, a large crowd gathered in Victoria Square, in the heart of the CBD.
Rally organiser Natasha Wanganeen, who is a cousin of Cassius, commended Mechelle Turvey's courage.
"It's a mother expressing her heartbreak at the country she lives in and our kids not being safe here," she said.
"I'm sure you want your kids to be safe when they get older. I want my daughter to be safe when she gets older. She's three years younger than Cassius. That breaks my heart."
Cassius 'could have been a leader'
More than 500 people attended a peaceful solidarity vigil at Canberra's Aboriginal Tent Embassy for Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey.
Ngunnawal & Noongar woman Eva-Lee Williams attended the vigil with her mother Sharon Williams, who is a proud Noongar woman.
"It hurts," said Eva-Lee Williams through tears.
"I'm Noongar, he's my mob, he could have been a leader.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra and Eva-Lee's mother Sharon said they were both grateful for the unsolicited support they are receiving from strangers.
"People come up to us in the middle of the street and cuddle us," said Ms Williams.
"It is wrong that we have to be here and for a young boy, a little 15-year-old, and I have got grandchildren that age and when I heard what had happened I was panicking.
"Our love and respect goes out to his mum."
'Everyone is hurting'
In Darwin around 300 people attended a vigil held at the Rapid Creek bridge in the northern suburbs.
Attendees were invited to take part in a smoking ceremony, and later held a minute's silence for Cassius.
Organiser Josie Crowshaw said the vigil was an opportunity for the community to send love and respect to Michelle Turvey.
"Everyone is hurting, especially the Aboriginal community here," she said
"The pain is unbelievable, and I hope people will show solidarity."
A vigil was also held in Alice Springs, with hundreds of people attending the event held on the court lawns in the town's centre.
