Formal Complaint Made To LECC After “Brutal” Arrests Of Protesters

A Greens MP has filed a formal complaint to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC), alleging misconduct by police officers involved in the arrests of peaceful pro-Palestine protesters in Belmore last month.

The complaint also questions emergency powers invoked in arrest documents, measures designed to quell riots and other situations that give rise to a serious risk to public safety.

Spokesperson for Justice, Sue Higginson, had previously spoken out on the “brutal and excessive” actions taken by the NSW Police on June 27, where five people were arrested during an early morning picket outside SEC Plating in Belmore. The business is allegedly involved in providing plating services for parts used in Israel’s F-35 jets, however the company denies this claim.

Former Greens candidate, 35-year-old candidate Hannah Thomas, sustained significant facial injuries during her arrest, and may be facing permanent vision loss in her right eye.

An independent investigative body, the LECC is responsible for investigating complaints of misconduct against police officers. 

Higginson says the use of emergency powers on Thomas’ arrest documents are “very revealing and deeply concerning”. These powers were introduced following the 2005 Cronulla Riots, and can only be used after an authorisation is given by an Assistant Commissioner or above of the NSW Police.

“The other possibility for these emergency powers to be mentioned, is that the NSW Police are currently engaging in reverse engineering evidence to justify the assault of an innocent member of the community – something that we call corrupt,” she said. 

“I have taken this step today because the evidence here points to an active attempt to reverse engineer a justification for unlawful actions by the police.”

Evidence of “serious misconduct” must be independently investigated 

Higginson says neither the Police, Premier Chris Minns, or the Minister for Police has referred to public disorder when discussing the case.

“What we have seen instead, is a series of statements from the Premier Chris Minns and Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden that are inconsistent with the evidence from the day, evidence clearly shows that police officers acting above the law,” she said.

The complaint comes amid escalating anti-protest laws across the state.

Among them are laws prohibiting protest near places of worship, which were passed in an attempt to curb antisemitic attacks on synagogues throughout Sydney.

It was these laws, police cited on the fact sheet of a Belmore arrestee, that gave them the justification, because protesters were too close to a mosque across the road.

“The criminal and civil justice processes will continue for the survivors of this incident, but the evidence of serious misconduct by some officers in the NSW Police must be investigated independently by the LECC,” Higginson said.

“Without accountability, the use of extraordinary emergency powers unlawfully is a significant step towards unjustified and unlawful punishment of legitimate and genuine peaceful protest, and will have a chilling effect on our constitutional right to political expression.”