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Tensions with police intensified when a confrontation with Officer Fitzpatrick resulted in violence. Ned’s family was further persecuted, with his mother imprisoned and their poverty worsening. Frustrated with systemic injustice and police corruption, Ned and his companions formed the Kelly Gang.
The Kelly Gang's Rebellion
The Kelly Gang became notorious for daring robberies, including the Euroa and Jerilderie bank heists, where Ned famously read out a manifesto condemning the colonial authorities and exposing corruption. The gang’s actions—though criminal—captured public support among the oppressed rural poor.