NSW police watchdog to investigate alleged police brutality at Sydney protest against Isaac Herzog

An independent inquiry into reports of police brutality at a Sydney protest against Isaac Herzog’s visit will examine “incidents of alleged misconduct on the part of officers”.The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (Lecc) said on Friday it would examine the police response after receiving “a significant number of complaints”.“The commission has decided that it is in the public interest to investigate the police operation at Sydney town hall and surrounds on the evening of Monday 9 February 2026, including incidents of alleged misconduct on the part of NSW Police officers against persons attending that location for a protest,” the Lecc said in a statement.“The commission will obtain and review all available material, including video and phone footage, documents, records and other information, including that held by the NSW Police force.”The watchdog said it would conduct hearings as part of the investigative process and provide a “public report” to the NSW parliament concerning the investigation.The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has backed the actions of police, despite a growing chorus of criticism. He has said he would not conduct an independent inquiry into what occurred.“We can’t blame the police for doing what we asked them to do,” he said on Thursday.“I’m certainly not going to throw NSW Police under the bus in these circumstances for doing what is an incredibly difficult job, a job that millions of people in this state are grateful for.”Minns on Tuesday rejected suggestions that his own anti-protest restrictions had created what he deemed to be an “impossible situation” for police dealing with thousands of protesters.Rally organisers, Labor backbenchers and Green MPs accused the premier and police of creating an “unsafe situation” for attendees.Police pepper sprayed protesters and Guardian Australia saw officers on multiple occasions confining protesters to an area in a controversial tactic known as kettling.Videos from the rally showed officers repeatedly punching some protesters and dragging Muslims who were praying.The police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, has apologised only “for any offence that may have been taken” after police dragged away people praying outside town hall.The state Greens justice spokesperson, Sue Higginson, said it was the “first important step forward for transparency” after the “awful experience” of Monday.Higginson attended the protest and earlier this week referred NSW Police to the commission.“I’m relieved that the Lecc have decided to take this course of action, despite the premier saying yesterday in parliament that he did not support an independent investigation into police actions,” she said.“We are lucky in NSW that we have a strong police oversight body in the Lecc and I am very grateful that they have the authority to act on the reports that they have received.”The Palestine Action Group backed the inquiry with spokesperson Amal Naser stating Monday’s police operation bore “all the hallmarks of a police riot, targeting peaceful demonstrators who gathered to oppose the visit of president Isaac Herzog”.“Under the Minns Labor government, civil liberties in NSW have been steadily eroded,” Naser said.“The events on Monday marked a dangerous escalation, with people, young and old, subjected to force for exercising their democratic right to protest.“We have already seen reports of elderly women suffering serious injuries, worshippers allegedly assaulted after being permitted to pray, and minors arrested during what was a peaceful demonstration.”Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, who led the disrupted prayer at town hall, said “what we need is a comprehensive and independent inquiry into the full chain of events leading up to what happened”.“Policing does not happen in a vacuum. Major public order operations are shaped by directives … well before officers put a foot on the road,” Charkawi said.“The public deserves to know what role was played by Chris Minns and [police minister] Yasmin Catley. The community is incensed.”Australia’s director of Human Rights Watch, Daniela Gavshon, said scenes from the protests were “alarming and distressing”.“The Lecc’s announcement that it will investigate the police operation is an important step in addressing any wrongdoing and ensuring that police officers are held accountable for any use of excessive force,” she said.The president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Timothy Roberts, said the seriousness of alleged police violence meant an independent investigation was “absolutely necessary”.“Independence, transparency and accountability of the investigation are essential to working towards restoring the broken public trust and confidence in policing,” he said on Friday.Roberts said a responsible premier and police minister would have referred the matter for investigation immediately, but they had instead “actively opposed calls to do so”.