Memorial Held For Collin Burling One Year After Death In NSW Police Custody

A community memorial has been held in Waterloo to mark one year since the death of Collin Burling, who died while in NSW Police custody on 15 July 2025.

The gathering took place on Wednesday 15 July at Daniel Solander Tower, 180 Pitt Street, Waterloo, near the site where Burling died. Organisers said the event was held in memory of Burling and to support his friends, family and surviving partner, Taite Collins.

Socialist Alliance candidate Rachel Evans, who spoke at the memorial, said that they “demand justice, restitution, compensation and we want cops that kill poor people, jailed for their crime.”

Burling, aged 45, died after an interaction with police at the Waterloo public housing complex. Collins, aged 44, witnessed the incident and recorded footage of the event. Media reports at the time included horrific video of the incident and comparisons were drawn by some commentators to the death of George Floyd in the United States.

An ambulance was called to the Pitt St apartment complex at 2:14am, where they found Collin Burling, 45, suffering an apparent mental health episode.

Paramedics made an “urgent request” to police, who attended the scene. Police said Burling was cooperative as emergency services helped him into the ambulance, but suddenly became distressed, with police handcuffing him so he could be sedated.

Footage taken by Burling’s partner, Taite Collins, shows four police officers pinning him to the ground, as he calls for help and tells police he was unable to breathe.

“I’m not a threat,” Burling says. “Help me.”

Organisers of the memorial, Action for Public Housing, said questions remained about the circumstances surrounding Burling’s death and called for accountability and transparency from authorities.

“After twelve months the people who loved Collin and his friends cry out in pain not in loss and grief alone but now in the torment of government bureaucracies and the criminal justice system,” the organisers said in a media release.

“For this year, the government and police have denied justice to Collin Burling’s lover Taite and his family. One year on and they have attempted to absolve themselves of accountability and worse, seek to impugn blame on the victim.”

They also raised questions about the accountability processes following the death, including investigations into police conduct and the role of emergency services who attended the incident.

“Who is accountable for the avoidable and unnecessary death of Collin Burling?” the release stated.

“How can Taite, Collin’s surviving partner and Collin’s family and friends be assured that those responsible for this death in custody are held accountable in a court of law?”

The organisers also questioned the transparency of investigations into police conduct, including those involving the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

“How independent and transparent are NSW Police enquiries into misconduct, such as those by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission mentioned by Police Minister Yasmin Catley when asked about this case?” the release stated.

The memorial was organised by supporters of Burling, including Taite Collins, Action for Public Housing and Pride in Protest. Organisers said the gathering included calls for justice, accountability and restitution.

A separate rally calling for justice for Collin Burling and Jesse Deacon is scheduled to take place on Saturday 18 July at 1pm at Sydney Town Hall.