Almost three months after Sydney’s Town Hall anti-Herzog rally — where police were filmed punching and attacking attendees — not one officer has faced any action.
That’s despite over 30 people who attended the February 9 protest –– against the visit of a foreign head of state accused of inciting genocide –– having been arrested, with at least 26 charged.
Among them is a woman who threw a water bottle, whose home was raided over six weeks later by eight police dressed up in balaclavas and tactical gear, with the raid filmed and broadcast by NSW Police.
An “independent investigation” by the NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) — which investigates allegations of “serious misconduct” by police — was launched, yet there will be no public hearings for months.
And what will be open and transparent, and what will be secret and hidden from the public, is unknown — and the LECC is refusing to say.
On March 13 the LESS said the “investigation will include public examinations”.
On March 31, an update states it “expects to conduct some public hearings” in “the second half of 2026”.
“I do not support an independent investigation” Premier Minns
The LECC did not answer a series of questions from The Klaxon — including how many instances of alleged assault by police officers it was investigating — citing “confidentiality obligations”.
Two weeks ago, NSW’s highest court unanimously ruled the “Public Assembly Restriction Declaration” (PARD) anti-protest laws — used by police at the February 9 — were unconstitutional.
The NSW Minns Government introduced the laws in December, after the December 14 Bondi terror attack, which killed 15.
On April 17, all three justices of the NSW Court of Appeal — chief justice Andrew Bell and justices Stephen Free and Julie Ward — struck-down the laws as against Australia’s constitutional freedoms.
The laws allowed police to ban protests and marches outright in certain areas for periods of 14-days, citing “safety”.
Over the summer, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon repeatedly extended the bans, allowing them to lapse in February, after Israel President Herzog left the country on February 12, after a five-day visit.
The PARD laws, introduced at taxpayer expense, were deemed unconstitutional after they were challenged in court by advocacy groups The Blak Caucus, Palestine Action Group and Jews Against the Occupation ’48.
Filmmaker James Ricketson, 76, surrounded by police before being thrown to the ground at the Sydney anti-Herzog protest. Source: ABC/Justine Muller
Despite having been caught introducing laws violating Australia’s constitutional freedoms, Minns has doubled-down.
After the PARD laws were struck down as constitutional, by all three members of the full bench of the NSW Court of Appeal, Minns said his government “absolutely stands by” the decision to implement them.
Minns said his government was “obviously disappointed” the laws were struck-down, in comments heavily criticised as undermining the judiciary and so the nation’s democratic processes.
It was the second time in six months that anti-protest laws passed by the Minns Government have been found to violate the constitution.
In October the NSW Supreme Court struck-down laws that had given police new powers to prevent protests near “places of worship”.
Both laws were heavily advocated by the nation’s Antisemitism Envoy, Jillian Segal.
As previously reported, Segal and her husband John Roth are among the biggest funders of far-right lobby group “Advance”, which spreads hateful propaganda, racist tropes and bigoted imagery.
In the nine months since the expose, Segal has issued no meaningful response.
Responding to The Klaxon’s expose in July, Federal Minister Tony Burke described Advance as “an appalling organisation”.
Among those injured at the February 9 protest was a 69-year-old woman who was hospitalised with four broken vertebrae, after police allegedly pushed her to the ground “violently” and “without warning”.
Elderly Australian filmmaker James Ricketson, 76, was forced to the ground by multiple officers, in a scuffle that began with him touching the shoulder of an officer, ABC News Verify reports.
Ricketson said he was taken into police custody, but then released without charge.
Images James Ricketson said showed injuries he sustained. Source: ABC News
The day before the LECC — publicly — announced it would launch an investigation into the actions of police on February 9, Minns announced he didn’t believe an independent investigation was warranted.
“I do not support an independent investigation,” Minns told parliament on February 12.
“The day before the LECC — publicly — announced it would launch an independent investigation Minns announced he didn’t believe one was warranted”
When contacted by The Klaxon, the LECC said it was bound by “confidentiality obligations”.
“The Commission makes its work known to the public and the media whenever it is in the public interest to do so,” said a response, signed-off only as “LECC Media”.
“However, we do not usually comment on specific operational matters because…we are bound by the confidentiality obligations in the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission Act 2016,” it states.
“(And) the disclosure of information about a current complaint or investigation may compromise the integrity or progress of our work.”
In its March 31 statement, the LECC said LECC Chief Commissioner Peter Johnson SC had appointed Kirsten Edwards SC and Emma Sullivan as “council assisting” its investigation.
“The Commission has received a significant volume of material,” it states.
“The Commission acknowledges the patience of the public as it continues this important work”.
On March 26, in a pre-dawn raid, at least 12 NSW Police officers — including 8 in tactical gear — raided the home of a 42-year-old Burwood woman.
The 42-year-old woman was charged with “hindering or resisting police, intimidating police without actual bodily harm, throwing a missile at police without actual bodily harm and using indecent language”.
The woman’s lawyer Nick Hanna said police “smashed the door open”, and came into the woman’s house while she was sleeping and “half naked”, and posted a photo he said showed the damaged door.
“The main allegations … are that [they] threw a water bottle at an officer and then threatened to assault another officer if he touched [them],” Hanna posted to social media.
“I’ve been a criminal lawyer for almost 20 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what happened today” — Nick Hanna
Police raid the home of the 42-year-old woman. Source: NSW Police
Police seized the woman’s phone an “required her to provide the passcode”, Hanna said.
“She went to a protest against an [alleged] war criminal [and] is not alleged to pose any ongoing danger.
“I’ve been a criminal lawyer for almost 20 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what happened today”.
“It really, really demonstrates how crazy things are getting in this state,” Hanna said.
A door broken by police during the raid of the woman’s home, according to her lawyer. Source: Supplied
NSW Police published a video of the raid and the woman’s arrest.
In a statement, NSW Police said 27 people had been arrested at the February 9 protest, with 9 people charged.
Since then “a further 16 people have since been charged”, the statement said, making the woman the 26th person charged in connection to the anti-Herzog protest.
The 42-year-old woman is arrested after her home was raided by police. Source: NSW Police
Footage obtained by the ABC shows 76-year-old filmmaker Ricketson being pulled into the middle of a group of six officers, then put in a headlock and pulled to the ground.
“The next thing I know I was lying on the ground, facedown … then they hog-tied me with tie things they use, not handcuffs. They did it so tightly I’ve still got the bruises on my hands from those,” Ricketson told the ABC.
“Then they dragged me to my feet and walked me to the police wagon and said I was under arrest for assaulting a police officer. It was just nonsense,” he said.
Ricketson said he was taken to Darlinghurst Police Station and, after several hours, after police reviewed body cam footage, he was released without charge.
More to come…
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Thank you,
Anthony Klan
Editor, The Klaxon
