Australia politics live: police under fire for handling of Sydney protests; chief says speakers ‘incited’ crowd to march

Key events2m agoPolice action was 'corporal punishment of peaceful community', say Greens43m agoWelcomeShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featurePolice action was 'corporal punishment of peaceful community', say GreensThe Greens said the police action amounted to “summary physical punishment against legitimate and peaceful protest”.Sue Higginson, Greens MP, and party spokesperson for justice, said it was “corporal punishment against a peaceful community” caused by the “inflammatory actions” Chris Minns.She said she would be referring the “wildly inappropriate” police actions to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. A lawful and peaceful public assembly was set upon with state violence because arbitrary and excessive special powers were granted to the police, via a rushed regulation made on a Saturday, with no good cause and in defiance our implied constitutional rights to engage in political expression. I saw with my own eyes something I had hoped to never see, but the video footage that is spreading across social media is all the evidence that any of us need to see the descent of NSW into a Police State. We saw people of the Muslim faith who were praying set upon, dragged, assaulted and thrown to the ground. We saw dozens of armed police charging at peaceful members of our community. Charging horses, chemical weapons, unprovoked assault, and severe police violence. These should never be the tools of law enforcement, and their presence on Sydney streets must be a wake up call to all of us. After chaotic scenes at a Sydney rally opposing Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit last night, assistant police commissioner Peter McKenna faced the media and accused the speakers at the rally of “inciting the crowd to march”.“It was really something that was quite inflammatory,” he told reporters last night.“In fact, it got to the point that I believe the crowd really took part in some type of contagion of group think.”He also said that some officers had been assaulted amid brawls with the protesters.“I had 10 police officers assaulted, and I’m really upset about it,” he said.Asked if the protest would have been less violent had the police allowed protesters to march, he said: “It wasn’t a matter of us letting protesters march. There was legislation in place to say they couldn’t march.”Police say protest speakers 'incited the crowd to march' before chaos at Sydney protests – videoHe also said that videos widely shared online and also posted by the Guardian had been taken “out of context”. Those officers are in a very vulnerable, precarious position. Then when they have laws to enforce and violence is coming towards them, if that happens over a prolonged, sustained period of time, and then you take 30 seconds here or 30 seconds there of what looks like on its own merits … a violent confrontation. Well, you’re not judging the whole night … the whole situation of what those officers have just been through. In a press release issued late last night, NSW police explained their actions at the protest. In part, the statement said: Thousands of participants gathered at Town Hall and at the conclusion of the speeches, the crowd assembled on George Street indicating an intention to march. The crowd were issued a number of directions by police to disperse in accordance with the Public Assembly Restriction Declaration (PARD) and Major Events Act. When participants failed to comply, officers moved to disperse the crowd, including anyone who had stopped and was blocking pedestrian access. A number of scuffles broke out with 27 people arrested, including 10 for assault police, and are being dealt with by officers. Paramedics treated a number of participants after OC spray was deployed. There have not been any reports of serious injuries. There has been a great deal of reaction to the police handling of the Sydney protests, not all of which we could squeeze into our news story.The Australian Democracy Network says it has raised serious concerns about the police response days after the organisation and other civil society organisations wrote to NSW premier Chris Minns expressing concerns about further restrictions on the right to protest.ADN protest rights campaigner, Anastasia Radievska, said the events highlighted a broader and growing threat to protest rights in New South Wales. What we have seen tonight appears to be a disproportionate response to people seeking to express their democratic right to protest. Heavy-handed policing of peaceful assembly undermines democratic participation and escalates, rather than resolves, community tensions. Peaceful protest is a core democratic right. It cannot be treated as a public order problem to be managed through force or intimidation. Governments and police have a duty to facilitate protests and protect those exercising their rights. Restricting or repressing protest does not improve community safety. It suppresses political expression and erodes trust in public institutions. The NSW police handling of peaceful protests in Sydney last night against the visit by Israel’s president will be under the spotlight this morning.We have a full report, including claims by NSW Labor backbencher Anthony D’Adam that he saw police punching and throwing someone to the ground.We also have videos showing scores of police charging protesters, and one of police dispersing Muslims as they prayed near the scene of the protests around Town Hall and the city’s convention centre where Herzog was speaking.Scores of police charge Sydney protesters attempting to march against Isaac Herzog visit – videoWelcomeGood morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the big breaking stories before Krishani Dhanji takes the helm.Anthony Albanese’s decision to invite the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, to Australia to promote “unity” after the Bondi terror attacks will come under scrutiny today after police used pepper spray and mass charges on protesters opposing Herzog’s visit in Sydney last night.The Greens described the police action as “wildly inappropriate” but the police claimed last night that speakers at the protest had “incited” the crowd to march. We have news, reaction and videos of the shocking scenes coming up.No sooner had Sussan Ley made another peace with David Littleproud than reports have emerged that she faces an imminent leadership challenge from Angus Taylor. We have a full report and we’ll be bringing you developments in the Liberal saga when they happen.