An inquiry into a protest in Sydney opposing Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit found that demonstrators were mostly peaceful and that there was limited evidence of physical violence by protesters, according to opening statements at the hearing. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (Lecc) began examining the events of the February rally on Monday, focusing on police conduct and crowd management tactics during the demonstration outside Sydney’s Town Hall.
Lecc initiated the probe following widespread accusations of police brutality, triggered by viral videos showing officers punching protesters and forcibly removing Muslim worshippers during sunset prayers. The commission’s initial remarks underscored concerns over the use of OC spray, reports of police boasting about excessive use of force, and allegations of protesters being contained in confined areas, a tactic sometimes referred to as kettling.
Counsel assisting the commission, Kirsten Edwards SC, stated that evidence gathered so far depicts a largely peaceful protest in its early stages. While police described some later actions by protesters as aggressive, Edwards noted most of this behavior was verbal and related to attempts to march, despite restrictions in place at the time under the Public Assembly Restriction Declaration (PARD). This law, which limited protester movement, was later ruled unconstitutional by the New South Wales Supreme Court two months after the event.
Police charged approximately 30 individuals after the protest with offenses such as hindering arrest and assaulting officers. However, charges against nearly a dozen have since been withdrawn, including seven on the Friday preceding the hearing. The remaining cases will face a joint hearing set for July 2027, now involving 17 defendants.
The commission is reviewing around 400 complaints submitted by the public alongside roughly 1,000 hours of footage from the protest. Issues under scrutiny include the deployment of chemical sprays near vulnerable individuals, frequent physical contact through pushing and shoving during crowd dispersal, and the use of force during arrests. Edwards also highlighted instances of officers demonstrating care for elderly and vulnerable protesters, suggesting a complex picture of police actions.
Lecc is investigating whether inappropriate conduct by officers was systemic or if such behavior was implicitly approved by senior police commanders. It was revealed that a pre-protest briefing involving senior officers, including NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, emphasized that the protest was to remain static and that no march would be allowed. However, no recordings or notes from this briefing were maintained.
Representing Commissioner Lanyon, David Sulan SC acknowledged the challenges faced by police, citing an “unprecedented level of serious verbal abuse” directed at officers during the event. He also pointed to positive examples of policing during the protest, suggesting a nuanced assessment of law enforcement’s overall response.
The commission plans to conduct further private hearings over the coming weeks to gather additional testimony and examine specific case studies, including the use of force against older protesters and the treatment of Muslim worshippers during prayers. The inquiry aims to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of both police and protester conduct during the February rally.