NSW Labor MPs call for inquiry into police actions
All four rebel NSW Labor MPs who protested on Monday night joined the chorus calling for an independent investigation into police actions at City Hall, with the state’s police commissioner insisting officers would be held to account for their actions.
A protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia descended into chaos and 27 people were arrested as police pushed and pepper-sprayed protesters trying to march despite restrictions preventing demonstrations in Sydney’s CBD.
The NSW Labor government introduced laws allowing police to restrict protest areas following the Bondi terror attack in December, in which 15 people were killed on the first night of Hanukkah.
Labor MP Sarah Kaine, who attended the protest and was among four MPs who on Monday defied Premier Chris Minns’ advice to avoid CBD, called for an investigation into police actions but was “agnostic” on what form this should take.
“It’s clear that the events need to be investigated,” Kaine said.
Labor MP Cameron Murphy, who attended the protest, said this whole situation could have been prevented if the typical Form 1 process had been implemented.
“Some officers clearly used excessive force on Monday and we need to review that, but we also need to look at the wider issues of how we got here. [anti-protest] “Because it clearly doesn’t work,” Murphy said.
“When the independent arbitrator, the Supreme Court, is eliminated you will inevitably encounter such conflicts and the PAG [Palestine Action Group] “Protesters and police have complied with court orders in the past.”
Another Labor MP at the rally, Anthony D’Adam, said there should be an “independent and public” investigation into the circumstances that led to the chaos, in addition to any investigation by the Law Enforcement Commission (LECC).
Stephen Lawrence, the fourth Labor MP at the protest, said the investigation was not a bad idea but “shouldn’t just focus on the police and protesters”.
“The real truth is that the City Hall riot was caused by the political and legal elite,” he said. “A dysfunctional political culture in NSW has created arguably the most draconian anti-protest laws in the Western world and an almost inevitable riot, which I clearly predicted in parliament late last year.”
The LECC, which is tasked with investigating allegations of police misconduct, received a complaint from Greens MP Sue Higginson on Tuesday. Higginson attended the rally and claimed police officers used pepper spray indiscriminately and repeatedly struck protesters.
In one video, a protester is held down by police and punched in the back and sides at least 18 times. The man was charged with assaulting police and causing actual bodily harm; police claimed he bit a police officer and said his actions were necessary.
In another video, Muslim men lie on the ground with their heads in prayer as officers enter and physically remove the men. At least one of the men appears to be thrown to the ground.
Higginson called on the LECC to launch an investigation rather than allowing the police to investigate their own conduct.
“We need to see as much evidence as possible; we know the police have drones on top of buildings, we know there’s a lot of footage out there,” he said.
“There is body-worn video footage at the police level. It is now time for the prime minister to join the call for real accountability.”
Minns has repeatedly appealed to the public not to judge police actions based on short clips on social media. The prime minister’s office did not provide any examples of police bodyviews or other context for police interactions with protesters. reporter.
“Police did their job Monday evening in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances,” Minns said. “As the police commissioner has said, there are established and independent processes to review police conduct.”
The call for a LECC investigation was backed by Sydney independent Alex Greenwich, who said his office was flooded with footage and written accounts of interactions with police following the rally.
“It will be important for an independent oversight body to review this footage, ask police questions about the actions taken and allow the police to contribute and share information about their own practices,” he said.
A LECC spokesperson said: reporter They could not confirm whether there was an investigation or what complaints had been received.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told 2GB that the actions of police officers at City Hall would be reviewed and individuals would be held accountable for their actions. Lanyon broadly defended his officers’ actions.
“They were operating in an extreme and dynamic environment. They did whatever was necessary to keep the streets and the community safe,” Lanyon said.
Professor Emeritus Simon Rice of the University of Sydney said there was no guarantee there would be any investigation. The LECC will need to determine whether the complaint made about the officers’ alleged conduct constitutes serious misconduct before it can decide whether an investigation is necessary.
“It is wrong that police have inexplicable discretion to act as they wish and then ensure public safety,” Rice said.
Redfern Law Centre’s supervising solicitor, Samantha Lee, said a public LECC investigation would lead to the best outcome for the community seeking answers, with any findings of potential wrongdoing being passed on to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Lee said the high legal threshold for serious police misconduct meant the LECC would often refer the matter back to the police for an internal investigation.
Lee said the decision to hold a public inquiry was “a discretionary decision based on their capacity, resources and the agendas they have set for the year.”
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Jessica McSweeney is a reporter covering city affairs and state politics for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
