Responses to the death of Thomas Kelly: taking populism seriously

This comment explores the range of responses to Thomas Kelly’s death. Mr Kelly suffered fatal head injuries after being king-hit in the face when walking down the street in Kings Cross, Sydney, in July 2012. It is argued that these responses form a populist and far more nuanced response than the more typical ‘law and order’ reactions of state governments witnessed in the past, making us think about taking populism more seriously.