Last Friday morning, anti-genocide activists attempted to participate in a peaceful picket outside SEC plating in Belmore, a company which has reportedly manufactured plating, engineering coatings and finishes for F-35 fighter jets that Israel has used to inflict its genocide upon Palestinians. Without hesitation, Police denied peaceful protestors their democratic rights and immediately issued them with move-on orders on the grounds that the protest was “unauthorised”. This is not a valid reason under the law. Police arrested a legal observer before the picket even started and also four others, who will be dragged to court for various offences. 

Email the Premier now and demand accountability.

Police intolerance turned to brutal violence. The circulated footage is dire and depicts acts of unprecedented police brutality. Former Greens Candidate and human rights advocate, Hannah Thomas was hospitalised after sustaining a serious facial injury, as a result of police brutalisation including being thrown to the ground, leaving her bruised and bloodied. Hannah is merely 5 '1 and weighs about 45 kg and needed to undergo surgery and could lose sight in her right eye due to the assault. Another officer can be seen with his hands forcefully around a woman’s neck and pushing her up against a fence, causing her unable to breathe for a minute. Another person was reportedly strip-searched invasively and illegally by a police officer, in the freezing cold at 6am. 

This excessive, unreasonable and violent use of force by NSW Police officers is an affront to our democracy.  

In NSW, we have a right to public assemblies that is covered by international law, the Constitution and our own NSW common law. NSW Police are trying to undermine this right, deeming protests “unauthorised”. 

This hostile police intolerance for peaceful protest is occurring because of Premier Chris Minns’ determination to wind back the right to protest and demonise pro-Palestine activists, who are doing all that they can to protest against the genocide in Gaza, and companies which are complicit in it. 

Earlier this year, the Minns Labor Government rushed through Parliament legislation to hand NSW Police broad new move-on powers relating to protests taking place “near” places of worship - “near” not even defined! We cannot allow our right to protest to be curtailed by Chris Minns’ declaration to defeat dissent. 

For Hannah, the other activists who faced brutal police use of force, the global push for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and for the state of our democracy in NSW, we must call for accountability and protect the right to protest. 

We are calling on the Premier Chris Minns to immediately:

• Ensure all charges laid against Hannah Thomas, and all other individuals charged at the peaceful demonstration in Belmore are withdrawn,
• Ensure that the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is engaged to conduct independent oversight and investigation with full access,
• Issue a clear public directive to the NSW Police that protest in NSW is lawful and tolerated and must be protected as an essential democratic function,
• Acknowledge the NSW Labor GOvernment’s role in emboldening excessive and violent policing through the expansion of discretionary powers and anti-protest laws, and
• Commit to the repeal of anti-protest laws that have been introduced as a mechanism to chill legitimate and peaceful political expression in NSW

Write to the Premier now, and force him to act for accountability and democracy in NSW.