National racial justice organisation Democracy in Colour is horrified by the excessive police force used against peaceful protesters and community members gathered in Sydney last night. The heavy-handed response, which included the use of pepper spray on people peacefully expressing their dissent and performing religious rites, marks a dangerous escalation in the policing of multicultural communities.
The protest, which formed in response to the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, saw a significant police presence that community members described as aggressive and provocative. Witnesses and footage from the scene show officers using force against individuals who posed no threat, including a group of Muslim men engaged in evening prayers.
Noura Mansour, National Director of Democracy in Colour, said: “What we saw last night was not ‘community safety’—it was a violent display of state power designed to silence people protesting for human rights. To see police turn pepper spray on peaceful protesters and assault people in the middle of prayer, is a profound violation of dignity and a direct attack on people’s right to practice their cultural and religious identity in public spaces, and exercise their democratic rights.”
“The NSW Police has a well-documented history of over-policing people of colour and First Nations people. Last night’s events further demonstrate a government priority: safeguarding the visit of a divisive foreign official—and accused war criminal—at the expense of the Australian public’s fundamental right to peaceful assembly.”
The integrity of a functioning democracy hinges on the protected right to assembly. The NSW Police’s conduct last night represents a profound departure from their stated mission of maintaining social cohesion, replacing community safety with state-sanctioned suppression.
“We will not be intimidated,” said DeCo Board Director, Ethan Floyd. “Our communities have every right to demand accountability and to stand in solidarity with those facing state violence both here and abroad. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into the conduct of the NSW Police last night. This state-sanctioned violence must end. We call on our community to continue showing up, speaking out, and demanding a future where everyone can safely exercise their right to protest without fear of violence.”