Second rally after violent anti-Israel protests rock Sydney

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been lashed and accused of “gaslighting” the community during a snap demonstration against alleged “police brutality”.

The snap rally was announced on social media on Tuesday, after pro-Palestine demonstrators alleged they had been brutalised during protests against Israeli President Isaac Herzog the night prior.

NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson claimed Mr Minns was “gaslighting” the community.

“You’ve heard him say it, the police were put in an impossible position,” she told the crowd.

“That was not me, that was not any of us. That’s what we call gaslighting your community.

“It was him. It’s his months and months of intolerant rhetoric talking about peaceful protest as if somehow we are the cause of violence and hatred. We call bulls**t on that.”

Ms Higginson revealed she had written to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission to launch an independent probe into NSW Police’s behaviour, and demanded all the nine protesters charged have their charges dropped.

Asked about the scenes earlier in the day, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said body worn camera footage would be reviewed, but backed the actions of officers.

He said officers had shown “remarkable restraint”, and blamed organisers for urging protesters to march, declaring the behaviour of some crowd members “simply unacceptable”.

Strong police presence

At least 100 armed police officers were gathered in formation at Surry Hills Police Station on Tuesday.

Demonstrators started to beat drums after having chanted one round of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, as the crowd grew on Tuesday evening.

Among the crowd of at least 150 people, there were several holding makeshift signs, including one branded with the controversial phrase “globalise the intifada”.

Other posters displayed the phrase “Free Palestine”, and some picture graffitied images of Mr Herzog and NSW Premier Chris Minns.

Cumberland City Councillor Ahmed Ouf led a communal prayer in the middle of the park, a day after a group of Muslim men were allegedly aggressively moved on by police officers during Monday’s demonstration.

Mr Ouf — and at least 20 others — knelt on the ground in prayer, surrounded by supporters.

He had been injured in Monday’s protest after being pepper sprayed by police.

Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees branded Monday’s policing operation as “unlike anything” he had seen before.

Mr Lees made an impassioned speech to the large group of demonstrators, saying he was proud of those who rallied on Monday against Mr Herzog’s visit.

“In order to roll out the red carpet for (Mr Herzog), they crushed the rights of the people of this city to protest against him,” he said.

Describing the leadership NSW Premier Chris Minns, the activist accused the state of sliding into authoritarianism, with intense screams of “shame” and chants of “Chris Minns in the bin” from the audience.

Mr Lees also compared Mr Minns’ leadership to that of US President Donald Trump’s regime.

“Last night we saw what that means in an even more brutal way with, of course, the vicious police violence … I was thinking, I’ve seen this somewhere before, many places, but I’ve seen it, especially in Donald Trump’s America,” he said.

“Donald Trump’s America, where the streets attacking people with impunity. That’s what it felt like being in Sydney last night.”

Later, he reiterated the Surry Hills demonstration would be peaceful, with demonstrators yelling “as always”.

Earlier, Mr Lees told reporters the second demonstration was a response to the “shocking levels of police brutality”.

Asked about Mr Minns’ justification of the police’s actions: “I think he is trying to say that if the police didn’t brutalise us in that way, that somehow we posed a risk to the people at the (neighbouring) Isaac Herzog event. But that is completely false. And he knows that we were trying to march in the opposite direction.”

Mr Lees briefly spoke to two senior police officers outside Surry Hills station ahead of the protest.

He was heard asking if it was “really necessary” for the massive police presence, “especially after last night”.

As the media pack abruptly circled the trio, both police officers walked away before answering his question.

Demonstrators, while protesting NSW Police’s actions on Monday night, are also calling for the ousting of Mr Minns, who has voraciously defended the state authority’s actions against protesters.

Former Labor minister speaks out

Former Labor cabinet member Ed Husic, who said he was “uncomfortable” with Mr Herzog’s visit, questioned police actions against a group of people praying.

Video filmed on Monday showed police grabbing several men kneeling in prayer.

Mr Husic posted on social media: “How is it that people engaged in peaceful prayer can be moved on faster, more forcibly than black-shirted neo-Nazis standing outside NSW parliament?”

Albo refuses to condemn Tame

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to condemn former Australian of the Year Grace Tame who has been accused of using a “vile anti-Semitic slur” at a Sydney protest.

Ms Tame led chants of “globalise the intifada” at a rally against the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, a slogan which could be banned in NSW under proposed hate speech laws.

Melissa McIntosh, shadow communications minister, asked Mr Albanese to “unequivocally condemn this disgusting display of anti-Semitism” at Question Time.

Mr Albanese did not speak about Ms Tame, but instead said: “We need to not continually look for political opportunities from what is a devastating situation. We need to turn the temperature down.”

First charges laid after protest chaos

Nine people have been hit with charges after scuffles broke out between protesters and police at a pro-Palestine rally on Monday.

NSW Police said five people were taken to hospital after the ugly scenes in Sydney, and two police officers were treated at the scene.

The ages of those charges range from 19 to 67, and all have been charged with assault or public order offences.

A 28-year-old man was charged with assaulting police officer in execution of duty causing actual bodily harm and was refused bail to appear in court on Tuesday.

A 19-year-old man, accused of two counts of assaulting police officer during public disorder causing actual bodily harm, will appear before court later this month, while a 31-year-old woman accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm was granted bail to appear in court in March.

Others who will appear before court in March are a 67-year-old man accused of behaving in offensive manner in/near public place/school, a 24-year-old man charged with hindering or resisting police officer in the execution of duty, a 23-year-old man charged with assaulting police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm, a 25-year-old woman facing the same charge, and a 25-year-old man accused of refusing/failing to comply with direction and hindering/resisting law enforcement officer in execution of duty.

A 21-year-old man charged with throw missile at police officer executing duty no actual bodily harm is due in court in August.

Six others will be issued Future Court Attendance Notices for refusing/failing to comply with direction under Part 14 to appear before court on a later date.

‘Significant police presence’

Protesters have been warned there will be “no difference” in the police response to any gathering held on Tuesday night, after violent scenes erupted on the streets of Sydney on Monday.

An anti-Israel rally of thousands turned into clashes with police on Monday night as sections of the crowd attempted to march on from Town Hall, in defiance of a court ruling.

NSW Premier said 7000 people attended the rally, but organisers said the attendance was 20,000.

Police said 27 people were arrested, including 10 for assaulting police officers after the Town Hall rally.

Other protesters were handcuffed for failing to comply with officers’ directions.

Addressing media on Tuesday, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he was aware of a second protest that had been organised to take place outside Surry Hills Police Station, and noted there was no restriction on protest in the area.

“We’ll have a significant police presence. There’s no difference to the approach to police,” he said.

“When protesters go, act lawfully, act peacefully, there will be no problem. It’s outside the area of declaration. It will be the actions of protesters that what happens. We want it to remain calm and peaceful … for the streets of Sydney to be calm and peaceful.”

An ad for the rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group, urged supporters to “protest against police brutality!”

“Genocide is a crime, protest is not!” the post reads.

“Arrest Herzog, not protesters! Drop all charges against protesters! Minns and Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon must resign! Independent investigation of police violence!”

Joshua Lees, of the Palestine Action Group, accused Chris Minns of “seemingly trying to bring a bit Donald Trump’s America to Sydney”.

He told a press conference: “We have called another rally tonight at the Surry Hills Police Station, to make the point, there needs to be investigation into the (alleged) police brutality, that all charges against protesters need to be dropped and we need to repeal this raft of anti-protest laws.”

Mayor calls for NSW Police probe

Earlier, City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore described Monday night’s pro-Palestine demonstrations as “legitimate” and called for an independent investigation into NSW Police’s actions after the protest turned violent.

In a statement posted to social media, Ms Moore said: “It is legitimate to use our voices to call for an end to the genocide in Gaza, especially during a visit of the Israeli head of state”.

“The suggestions that such a protest is inappropriate as we continue to grieve for the victims of the egregious, anti-Semitic terror event in Bondi is a divisive, false dichotomy,” she said.

Ms Moore claimed there had to “be a better way” for police “who were out in intimidatingly large numbers” to manage crowd safety.

“I found the footage of men being aggressively dragged away in the midst of evening prayer, and protesters beaten while already subdued, particularly alarming,” she said.

She called for a review of policing at protests, saying: “We cannot simply say the images aren’t a good look, or that police were just doing their jobs in trying conditions, or play a blame game – the community needs to be able to trust police, and that trust relies on transparency and accountability.”

Asked about the scenes earlier in the day, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said body worn camera footage would be reviewed, but backed the actions of officers.

“As the commissioner, I’m committed to making sure that we review the actions of police, but I can say I am proud of what they did last night in holding the line,” he said.

“At Town Hall, police stood back and enabled that to take place. It was not until the protesters chose to march on police that police had to take any action.”

He said officers had shown “remarkable restraint”, and blamed organisers for urging protesters to march, declaring the behaviour of some crowd members “simply unacceptable”.

More to come