Premier to leave pro-Palestine protests in police hands

The NSW government will leave police to grant permission for future pro-Palestine rallies. (Steven Saphore/AAP PHOTOS)

A decision on whether to allow further pro-Palestine protests to be held across Sydney will be left up to police, the NSW premier says.

Chris Minns praised police handling of rallies over the weekend, but said there would be no tolerance of any incitement to violence or racial vilification in the "difficult" weeks ahead.

"We're going into those weeks with a very simple but important set of principles," he said on Wednesday.

"That is that protest is legal in NSW, but we'll have no tolerance for hate speech."

One man was charged with using offensive language at a protest on Sunday, while on Tuesday police charged two 31-year-olds and a 19-year-old man with assault over an incident during a heated pro-Palestine rally outside the Opera House last week.

Police allege the trio began arguing with and then assaulted and spat on a 45-year-old man who engaged with their group about 7.30pm on the Monday.

Following inquiries police arrested a 19-year-old man in Roselands on Wednesday

Officers intervened and the group, including the alleged victim, left the area, according to police.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley has faced fierce criticism from the opposition for not stepping in to shut down the Opera House rally.

The opposition launched a failed attempt to censure her at parliament on Wednesday for misleading the house and failing to give a proper apology.

"She doesn't appear to know that she has a power under the police act to give directions," opposition leader Mark Speakman said.

Ms Catley defended her approach, saying there should always be a separation of power between the minister and police.

Premier points to police for pro-Palestine rally permission.
NSW Premier Chris Minns will not tolerate hate speech as part of future pro-Palestine rallies.

Independent Sydney MP Sydney Alex Greenwich said although the behaviour of some at the protests was "horrific", police effectively de-escalated a situation that could have become "a lot worse".

"What we don't want is a situation where the forward commanders who are dealing with these crowds are somehow compelled to constantly call the Police Minister to seek her approval and guidance," he said.

Mr Minns said escalating violence overseas was creating rising community tensions, adding that he was very concerned about the recent loss of Palestinian civilian lives after hundreds were killed at a Gaza hospital.

"We are in the midst of an international crisis that may well get worse before it gets better and that's having consequences right here in NSW," he said on Wednesday.

"While it might be the case that it's too much to expect for the community to pull together right at this moment, we can't let international events pull us apart either."

In the days following the Opera House protest, Mr Minns promised the events would not happen again and the protesters had proven they were not peaceful.

"The idea that they're going to commandeer Sydney streets is not going to happen and I'm sure NSW Police will make that clear," he said last week.

Since that time, there have been several rallies by the same organisers that have not proven particularly problematic.

A further rally is planned for Saturday with organisers, the Palestine Action Group Sydney, calling for another peaceful protest and saying anyone using anti-Semitic chants will be removed.

Mr Minns said the government was talking regularly with community and religious leaders, which at times was difficult.

"We don't always agree ... but it's all with the purpose of ensuring that during these difficult international events that we stay together in Sydney and in NSW," he said.

The two men charged with assault were granted strict conditional bail and are due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store