When riot police use force against peaceful protesters and premiers applaud the batons, its no longer just a rally, its a warning about how quickly democratic rights can be stripped away, writesJames May.

DRAMATIC SCENES erupted in Sydney when6,000 peoplegathered to protest the visit of Israels President,Isaac Herzog, who is accused ofinciting genocide in Gaza.

Video footage emerged of NSW police using brutal force, throwing punches and assaulting people. Many protesters told harrowing stories of being attacked and pepper-sprayed. Adisturbing videoshows Muslims engaged in peaceful prayer getting dragged off the ground.

Twenty-seven peoplewere arrestedand several were injured.

Josh Lees from the Palestine Action Group (PAG)said:

As protests erupt nationwide against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Australians are raising their voices against a war criminal welcomed by a government determined to suppress dissent in the name of social cohesion.

NSW Greens MPJenny Leongsaid protesters tried to disperse peacefully but were obstructed by riot police and another Greens MP,Abigail Boyd, said she was punched in the neck and shoulder by police.

According to journalistPeter Lalor, a woman was convulsing on the ground from the effects of pepper spray and a police officer sprayed her twice more. They repeatedly punched a man they had pinned to the tram tracks and they kidney-puncheda protester with a bicycle.

Lalor wrote:

Despite video evidence and witness accounts, NSW PremierChris Minnsand former politicians likeTony Abbotthave denied police brutality and praised their conduct.

Tony Abbottsaidthe police should receive quiet commendation and we need to see tear gas and rubber bullets.

The scenes in Sydney were shocking and akin to what unfolded in Minneapolis, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) agentsused violenceto disperse protesters and detain people of colour. Their actions were also excused by theTrump Administrationwho applauded their behaviour and denied video evidence.

Two U.S. citizenswere murdered in those protests.

The newanti-protest lawscreated by the NSW Government since theBondi terror attackhave gone too far. They are designed to clamp down on protests and silence dissent in our community. They also allow police officers to use excessive force and act without impunity.

Governments are punishing protesters for speaking out against the very issues our politicians won't fix.

NSW has some of the most draconian protest laws in the democratic world, according toBen Saul, the UN's special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights.

Protest laws in NSWwere tightened by the former State Coalition Government in 2022 to restrict the freedom of climate action groups likeExtinction Rebellion. The laws were also strengthened after thefabricated terror plotin Dural in 2025 and now theyve been further strengthened.

Accordingto ProfessorAnne Twomey:

In the aftermath of Sydney, variousstate governmentshave proposed to make it a crime to chant the slogans from the river to the sea and globalise the intifada.

Queensland could become the first state in Australia to outlaw the phrases under newhate speech reforms. Anyone found distributing, publishing, displaying or reciting a prohibited phrase would face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Weve also seen attempts to hinder free speech and silence people at cultural events.

Palestinian-Australian writerRanda Abdel-Fattahwas cancelled by the board ofAdelaide Writers Weekin January. One hundred and eighty guests boycotted the event in protest and the director,Louise Adler, resigned from her position.

As Israeli President Isaac Herzog begins his visit to Australia, the Federal Government faces mounting legal pressure over its obligations under international and domestic law.

Louise Adlersaidthe Adelaide festival boards decision is the harbinger of a less free nation, where lobbying and political pressure determine who gets to speak and who doesnt.

Randa Abdel-Fattah is consideringdefamation actionagainst the Premier of South Australia,Peter Malinauskas.

Despite the debacle, NSW Premier Chris Minns has opposed Randa Abdel-Fattahs invitation to speak at the Newcastle Writers Festival in March.

Minnssaid:

More than 50 speakers withdrew from theBendigo Writers Festivallast year when organisers circulated a code of conduct to avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive, or disrespectful.

The controversy centred on debate over the Israel-Gaza war.

Lebanese-Australian journalistAntoinette Lattoufwas awarded $220,000 in 2025 after suing the ABC for terminating her position at ABC Radio Sydney. She was sacked for posting aHuman Rights Watcharticle on Instagram about starvation being used as a tool of war in Gaza.

The judge found the decision to remove Lattouf was made to appease pro-Israel lobbyists behind a campaign of complaints.

We are hurtling down an authoritarian path when it comes to free speech and the right to protest in this country. There is a dangerous pattern emerging that gives citizens less freedom to express their views and more power to authorities to dictate what people can say, and when and where they can say it.

According to theNSW Government, the new anti-protest laws were designed to protect the community, prevent intimidation and allow police to keep people safe. They clearly had the opposite effect in Sydney. Some of the most violent scenes were on display in the city last week and the community is more divided than ever.

Chris Minns and the NSW Government must acknowledge police brutality against protesters and review this punitive legislation.

James Mayis a freelance writer and his work has appeared inThe Guardian,The Age,The Sydney Morning HeraldandCanberra Times.