Police watchdog called in over dawn arrest of Herzog protester

The police watchdog has referred a complaint to NSW Police after a pro-Palestine protester was arrested by tactical officers and her door allegedly smashed in, on what her lawyer argues are relatively minor offences.

Footage from the arrest, originally posted by NSW Police, showed eight officers wearing helmets and face masks entering the Ashfield home during a dawn raid. The footage then cut to a woman being placed into a police wagon.

Police said a 42-year-old woman had been arrested and charged with resisting police, intimidating police without actual bodily harm, throwing a missile at police without actual bodily harm, and using indecent language.

Police allege she threw a water bottle at an officer during the February 9 protest against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog at Sydney’s Town Hall.

Her lawyer, Nick Hanna, later posted a widely shared video on social media in which he said police had entered the home while his client was sleeping and “half naked”. He alleged police had “smashed the door open”, posting an image which he said showed the damaged door.

In the video Hanna said police had alleged the woman had thrown a water bottle at an officer and “threatened to assault another officer if he touched her”.

The arrest, the 26th since the Town Hall protest where officers and demonstrators clashed, followed a series of laws to restrict public protests introduced by the NSW Labor government which have been criticised by legal and civil liberties groups.

“It really, really demonstrates how crazy things are getting in this state,” Hanna said in the video.

“I’ve been a criminal lawyer for almost 20 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what happened today.”

NSW Greens MPs Sue Higginson and Jenny Leong wrote to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission to raise concerns about the level of force used in the arrest, arguing the allegations against the protester did not justify the level of police response.

In a letter seen by this masthead, the commission confirmed a complaint had been initiated, which will be initially referred to NSW Police. The commission will then decide on its response to the incident once it has assessed material provided by the police, the letter said.

The commission is collecting evidence for an inquiry into the actions of police officers at the protest against the visit of Herzog in February, which was later described by Police Minister Yasmin Catley as a “riot”, with multiple people arrested and allegations from activists of police brutality.

Footage of police officers punching protesters went viral and officers faced criticism from the Muslim community after a group of protesters were forcefully removed during evening prayers, despite being given permission by a senior officer to proceed.

The use of tactical officers to arrest the Ashfield woman during a dawn raid could have a chilling effect for those who may have been willing to come forward to the commission inquiry, Higginson said.

NSW Police was contacted for comment.

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