Tag Archives: reports

Since the beginning of October 2023, Legal Observers NSW has fielded observers at 19 weekly street rallies protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The policing of these rallies has been marked by ubiquitous surveillance, police and state pushback and the deployment of higher than usual levels of police resources, including a new protest-focused taskforce ‘Operation Mealing’Continue reading “Report: Policing of weekly pro-Palestine street marches in Sydney”

Legal Observers NSW has been monitoring the policing of independent protest in NSW through carrying out independent legal observing at protests and collecting first-hand accounts from protestors. This report collects case studies of the policing of environmental protest in NSW in 2021-22, using data collected from observing, protestor accounts and publicly available information. Read theContinue reading “Report: Policing of Environmental Protest in NSW 2021-22”

Re: Kvelde v State of New South Wales [2023] NSWSC 1560 Today the Supreme Court of NSW has ruled that provisions of the anti-protest laws rushed through parliament in 2022 are unconstitutional.  In March 2022 the NSW government pushed these laws through parliament without consultation, and in only 72 hours from introducing the bill, dismissingContinue reading “Supreme Court finds NSW anti-protest laws unconstitutional”

On 26 November Legal Observers NSW fielded a team of independent legal observers at the Rising Tide protest in Newcastle. Observers were present to document the actions of police and connect any protestors arrested with legal representation.  Five legal observers were arrested by NSW Police while carrying out their role and three of them chargedContinue reading “Legal Observers NSW statement on the arrest of 5 legal observers at the Rising Tide protest in Newcastle on 26 November 2023”

We are deeply disturbed by the repression of peaceful protests at the Indo Pacific naval defence exposition in Sydney this week. NSW Police have arrested 9 people following protestor gatherings along the Darling Harbour foreshore on Monday and Tuesday. Several protestors have been charged with participating in an unlawful assembly, which carries a maximum 6Continue reading “Policing of the Indo Pacific 2023 naval defence exposition in Sydney”

Legal observers deployed in the vicinity of Common Ground housing on Saturday 11 September witnessed a number of concerning uses of police power. Residents at Common Ground had asked those living within a 5km radius to show solidarity by wearing purple and exercising in a COVID-safe way near the residence at 1pm. Police issued aContinue reading “Policing of Common Ground vicinity September 11”

Legal and human rights groups condemn the inappropriate policing and unlawful searches imposed on residents of Common Ground in Camperdown. We stand in solidarity with the residents in lockdown. The sudden and poorly communicated hard lockdown of Common Ground residence, run by Mission Australia, has left residents confused and distressed. We reiterate the ongoing callsContinue reading “Open Letter on the Lockdown of Common Ground Sydney Residents”

Legal Observers NSW is concerned about the policing of the Sydney lockdown beginning 26 June. Heavy-handed policing poses a grave threat to our ability to effectively respond to the virus and infringes on basic human rights. This lockdown, the NSW government has focussed on policing vulnerable communities instead of communicating clear information and providing theContinue reading “Statement on Policing of Sydney Lockdown”

The Free Palestine rally on May 22 saw significant police presence and a number of concerning policing practices. Key points include: An officer was observed wearing a thin blue line patch. This is the second time this year that a Police NSW officer has been observers displaying this symbol, which has been sanctioned by VictoriaContinue reading “Policing of the Free Palestine Rally May 22”