Image: The three protestors that were previously arrested outside Downing Centre Local Court yesterday. Image: @aldilati, Instagram
by LALYNE PAISI HICKIE
Three pro-Palestinian protesters, known as the “Red Dye Three”, appeared in court yesterday morning after receiving serious charges and restrictive bail conditions.
During a protest on March 23, a small group of die-in demonstrators from the group City of Sydney for Palestine wore white clothes and lay on the group as another sprayed small tubes of washable red dye. According to a statement, the intent was “to symbolise the senseless spilling of blood in Palestine and wars everywhere.”
Three of the protesters were violently handled by police. One, Aiden Magro, was observed being violently thrown to the ground by police. He appeared to lose consciousness while a police officer had a knee on his back.
All three were arrested and taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with ‘assault police officer in execution of duty’ and ‘intentionally or recklessly destroy/damage property’.
Aiden’s mother, Julie Threadgold, was denied access to her son and waited outside for six hours.
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The right to protest
In conversation with City Hub, Ms Threadgold said police wouldn’t answer the phone.
“At one point, they locked the front doors,” she said.
“I had a right to see my son and I asked them for a wellbeing check on him but they refused, they said he’s fine.”
Before the three arrested protestors appeared yesterday at Downing Centre Court, Ms Threadgold addressed the supporters in the courtyard. Several others made speeches.
“I constantly ask why people were arrested at a peaceful protest, when the protest was addressing violence in Palestine, why so many police and riot squads,” said Ms Threadgold.
“Why, because I think our government wants to gag us and take away our legal and constitutional right to protest when there is a genocide happening our government is complicit in this.”
The number of protests around Sydney surrounding the ongoing war in Gaza has led to many peaceful participants being subjected to increased police brutality, and a push to enforce the draconian anti-protest laws.
Spokesperson for the City of Sydney for Palestine group Ash Phthalo also shared with City Hub, “There is a feeling from the community that queer activists as well as Arab activists are being targeted by police.”
“It’s important that the community support the arrestees because the police are trying to transform the appearance of peaceful protest into violence”.
“There is an imagined violence against police that is happening here while there is real violence happening in Gaza” Phthalo stated.
Increased charges
Phthalo also shared information regarding the court meeting for the arrestees.
“They revealed today that all three of the arrestees had four more charges against them, when initially it was only two.”
“There’s now a total of six charges for each and these were charges that not even the arrestees were aware of. So, the police have been keeping a lot of information from them”.
Members of the group City of Sydney for Palestine have called out the NSW government, demanding that the charges against the three be dropped and that a review and reform on the anti-protest laws.
The City of Sydney for Palestine group has stated that, “There is no place for intimidating police violence in NSW.”
“Cultural change in the NSW Police Force must instil in all new recruits and serving officers a respect for the sacred right of the public to peaceful protest.”
The City of Sydney for Palestine group have defended the three arrestees saying that the protests and demonstrations were peaceful and have denied that the protesters retaliated to the sudden police intervention and none of them have resisted arrest or had assaulted any police officers.
The “Red Dye Three” will appear in court in June before a magistrate for six offences.
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