A group of pro-Palestine Labor members has expressed 'distress and disgust' at the police response to protests against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Sydney, accusing the New South Wales government of overseeing a 'terrible erosion of civil liberties'. In a letter to NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley, the Labor Friends of Palestine group called for an independent investigation into police actions during Monday's rally.
Eyewitness accounts and mobile phone footage allegedly showed officers pepper-spraying demonstrators, punching a man with his hands up, and forcibly dragging a group of Muslim men kneeling in prayer. The group, comprising rank-and-file ALP members, said some of their members were at the protest and witnessed 'numerous examples of police harassment and violence'.
NSW police charged nine people after the protest, with offences including assaulting police and behaving in an offensive manner. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, defended the police, claiming protesters created an 'impossible situation'. He said police actions would be investigated, including body-worn camera footage, but urged critics to consider the 'full context' of viral videos.
Police Minister Catley stated that officers had done a 'good job under incredibly difficult circumstances', while NSW Labor MP Stephen Lawrence questioned police tactics, saying he witnessed violence at the rally.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged calm, stating that while there is a place for demonstrations, they must be peaceful. He acknowledged the incident involving the group in prayer, saying many would want to know the circumstances. The federal Islamophobia envoy, Aftab Malik, described police actions as 'unprovoked and unacceptable' and called for an apology.
