Legal Observers NSW fielded teams in Sydney CBD and Bondi Beach during rallies taking place on 31 August, 7 September and 13 September. This report summarises the policing of these rallies based on observed police-protestor interactions and media reporting.
Key points include:
- NSW Police granted authorisation to the March for Australia rally despite its organiser calling for violence similar to the Cronulla riots. Previously, NSW Police have sought a court order to refuse authorisation to three Palestine Action Group rallies, with two of these applications primarily relying on safety issues and concerns that violence would ensue. The organisers of Palestine Action Group have not been recorded to call for violence.
- NSW Police did not send officers to assist two people who called the police after March for Australia attendees shoved, hit and followed them on Broadway.
- NSW Police allowed a counter-protest to a solidarity action for the Gaza Freedom Flotilla at Bondi Beach to move from its original location in a park away from the protest to a location right next to the protest. A total of 20 officers were observed to be deployed on the ground for this protest, which is far lower than the average of 50-100 Legal Observers NSW records at most protest actions. This is despite the counter-protest plans being publicised online by prominent groups with large followings, including the Australian Jewish Association and StandWithUs Australia.
- NSW Police were not observed to take action to address threats and racist statements yelled at attendees of the Freedom Flotilla action by counter-protestors. These included “I hope you’re all killed”, “no dogs on the beach”, “get off our beach”, “deport you all”, “white Australia”, “go back to Lakemba” and “you’re all terrorists”, as well as accusations that all Palestinians were rapists.
- NSW Police were not recorded to have exercised their powers to apprehend attendees at the March Against Corruption rally who were reported by the ABC to have been wearing patches featuring symbols associated with Nazism.
Legal Observers NSW 