Sheikh who led prayer at Sydney protest against Herzog says police were ‘unhinged and aggressive’ | Sydney

New South Wales police who caught people kneeling during a protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit in Sydney should face an investigation, a coalition of Muslim organizations has said.

The joint statement demanded an apology from the state’s premier and called for the NSW police commissioner to resign after Monday night’s incident; The person performing the prayer called the police response “irrational” and “aggressive.”

Video taken during a protest in Sydney on Monday night showed about a dozen men, led by Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, kneeling and praying in two straight lines in the forecourt of Sydney’s city hall. The men did not appear to be blocking a road or marching, which is effectively banned in designated areas under NSW legislation passed after the anti-Semitic terror attack in Bondi.

The video shows police officers descending on the group as the men prayed, grabbing those at the edge of the prayer group and dragging them to the ground.

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The praying men did not answer and continued to pray. Other protesters shouted at police, “Let them go” and “They’re fucking praying.”

Charkawi said police used violence during a peaceful protest.

“[Police were] “He was so unstable, so aggressive, and so violent that he had no respect for anyone or anything that stood in their way, even peaceful worshipers who stood in no one’s way.”

Charkawi said he and his fellow worshipers stayed about 15 minutes behind schedule to offer the sunset prayer toward the end of the show.

While praying, he said: “We could clearly hear a great noise coming from behind us. And I saw people… being thrown to my right and to my left.”

In the footage, Charkawi can be seen kneeling down and continuing to pray.

“When you pray, you are not allowed to break the prayer for any reason. A disaster or some kind of emergency has to occur for us to do that,” he said.

He said his shoulder almost felt like it was dislocated as he was being pulled away by police.

“We did not disobey any police orders. We were just saying our prayers and turning our backs,” he said. “What an unacceptable thing they did.”

NSW Greens MLC Abigail Boyd said she was punched in the head and shoulder by police officers and then saw Muslim men praying on their knees being dragged away by police.

“[Police] Then he went in and caught the people praying – there is nothing more peaceful than praying – and threw them back to the ground.

“People were treated incredibly badly. This is not social harmony. This was a peaceful protest representing people on the other side of the world protesting the genocide, but making it clear that we included the Jewish people. We are against anti-Semitism.”

Muslim groups call on police to apologize

At least 38 Muslim and legal organizations across Australia have called for the resignation of NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon, with the group saying his “leadership bears responsibility for a culture of policing where such behavior is allowed to occur”. Lanyon has served in the NSW police force for nearly 40 years and has been a commissioner for five months.

The group said NSW premier Chris Minns should apologize for police’s “abuse of power”.

The coalition of Muslim organizations said the use of force against worshipers during a legal and peaceful protest was unacceptable.

The group said in a statement, “Police officers knowingly intervened in a moment of religious worship, forcibly interrupted the prayer and used physical force against people who did not pose a threat to public security. Some of the worshipers were dragged and thrown to the ground.”

“This was an abuse of power and a serious failure of judgment.”

The group argued that members of any other faith could not be expected to accept sacred practices being forcibly disrupted by the police.

“Muslims should not be held to a different standard, and our religious expression should not be viewed as a problem to be managed or suppressed,” the statement said.

The group called for an independent investigation into the incident and accountability, including potential criminal charges, for officers found to have acted unlawfully.

The National Imams Council of Australia said it was outraged by the “bad” and unprovoked physical conduct of police.

“Police are mandated to protect the community, ensure public safety and de-escalate tensions, not to interfere with religious practices or exacerbate an already fragile situation.”

Lanyon defended his officers’ actions, saying they showed “extraordinary restraint.”

“The speakers were encouraging the crowd to march. We made that clear throughout the week.” [that a] Going through CBD was unacceptable.

“We wanted a respectful and responsible protest. We did not get that last night. Our police took action to disperse the protest.”

Asked by the Guardian whether he would consider apologising, Minns said in a statement: “No one, neither the police nor the government, would attempt to create crime.”

The prime minister said the government and police have been working closely with Muslim groups for decades.

“What happened last night did not occur under normal circumstances, but in the midst of a rapidly escalating and dangerous situation. Police were trying to maintain order and prevent further conflict.

“The government and NSW police will meet with Islamic community leaders to listen, explain context and work together on concerns.”

Minns has previously said he understood there was criticism of the police but officers had to keep protesters separate from more than 7,000 people who were at an event with Herzog in Darling Harbor mourning the attacks on Bondi beach.

The Prime Minister said police were “caught in an impossible situation”.

“I want to make clear that there is no suggestion under any circumstances that the police would want to prevent people from praying or get in the way of people lawfully practicing their religion.

“But context is important here and the conditions faced by NSW police were incredibly difficult. In fact, it was in the middle of a riot. Police need to make critical early decisions in those circumstances. It was not designed to target or target a specific community.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised the issue of police action against protesters praying in parliament, saying he would “let the police do their job” in the investigation. He said many people in Australia “will want to know all the circumstances surrounding this”.

Charkawi, a support officer at Granville Boys’ High School, was ordered to work from home last year after he posted a video in response to footage of Bankstown hospital nurses criticizing “selective anger”.

Charkawi said in his video that the nurses’ comments were “never literal or intended to pose a threat to patient care” and criticized those who spoke out about them but remained silent on Israel’s actions.