Eyewitness questions police actions

A witness to clashes in Hyde Park two weeks ago claimed police actions provoked protesters, leading to the widely reported scenes of violence.

Eyewitness Rachel Evans said an “incredible amount of disproportionate force” was used against protesters.

“The police were violent and they should be condemned for it.”

Ms Evans has been involved in a number of protests since 1991, including organising the ‘No to Pope Coalition’ protests in 2008.

“I’ve had a long history of experience with the police and dealing with rallies; I know how they operate,” she said. “[In comparison] there was nothing like what I saw [last Saturday]. The intense police presence, helicopters, cordoned off streets, dogs … it was absolutely over the top.”

Ms Evans said violence could have been prevented if police had allowed the march to go ahead.

“They could have chosen either to aggravate the situation or allow the protest to march and stop the traffic, and they chose to aggravate the situation.”

Ms Evans also said the police tactic to “advance and then retreat, sometimes with pepper spray, sometimes without” also contributed to the violence.

NSW Police chose not to make any further comment on whether the actions of officers were justified. At a press conference, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione rejected allegations made on social media that police had overreacted.

“We know that social media is uncensored … you don’t need to be factual. It’s almost in many regards ‘the badlands’ because you can simply post whatever you want, you can lie, you can deceive, [and] often we see that.”

Video footage released by Russia Today shows protesters striking police officers with flagpoles on the steps of the MLC building, prior to the events described by Ms Evans. It is believed a police officer suffered an open head wound in this incident.

Police and protesters both suffered a number of injuries. Two police officers were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment following the protest. Four other police officers were treated for injuries at the scene. Two protesters were taken to hospital after sustaining dog bites, while 17 protesters were treated at the scene for the effects of pepper spray.

At the time of writing, police had charged eleven people (eight men and three youths) with offences including assaulting police, affray, riot, malicious wounding, throwing a missile and committing an act of cruelty against an animal. A police media release also stated two men had been arrested after “they allegedly incited and promoted violence through the use of a social media networking site.”