5 arrested and several assaulted by police at Belmore protest
Legal Observers NSW observed a peaceful protest at SEC Plating in Belmore this morning, where police made 5 arrests. Police were observed to tackle individuals walking along the footpath to the ground and drag one person on the concrete, causing serious injuries to her eye and face.
A police officer placed their hands around the neck of one person to drag them backwards, causing them to be unable to breathe for about a minute and with serious bruising developing. Several people were knocked to the ground by police.
Police began issuing move on orders to individuals near the protest site at about 5.50am. Two people were issued a move on order on the basis that the protest was ‘unauthorised’ and told to leave Belmore for 24 hours. Several people were stopped in their cars and told to continue driving or be issued a move on. One person was told that he would be arrested if he got out of his vehicle.
Police were observed to issue move on orders on the basis that individuals being near the location would cause “fear and alarm” and that the protest was “unauthorised”. These are not valid reasons for the issuing of a move on order to a public assembly in LEPRA. Police at no point stated that the protest was obstructing traffic and one officer was captured on camera directly saying “this is not a move on for obstructing traffic”. Police also were not observed to have stated that the protest was a risk to safety.
The police facts sheet of one of the arrestees mentioned that she was near a place of worship at the time of her move on. The place of worship is a mosque across the street from SEC Plating. Legal Observers NSW has not observed any of the three pickets we have observed at this location impeding access to the mosque, or impacting worshippers. The protest was not targeted at the mosque.
“This was a brutal police assault against peaceful protestors. People were walking on the footpath when police issued them a baseless move on direction and then assaulted protestors when they asked for an explanation as to why they were being moved on. This is a dark day for democracy in NSW” Adam al-Hayek, spokesperson for Legal Observers NSW
Legal Observers NSW 