2026-06-01
The Greens NSW have joined with 43 other civil society organisations in an open letter to the NSW Premier calling for all charges made against the community at the Sydney Town Hall Protest, against the visit of Israel’s President Isaac Hertzog, to be dropped given the unlawful conduct of Police.
Greens MP, solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said the wrongful arrests and legal chaos that unfolded at Town Hall in February were a direct consequence of unlawful conduct of the NSW Police, caused by invalid laws passed by the Minns Labor Government.
“These charges should have never been made, every wrong that occurred that night at Town Hall happened because Premier Chris Minns pushed unconstitutional laws through the Parliament and ordered the Police to enforce unlawful powers,”
“The community gathered at Sydney Town Hall on 9 February in response to Labor governments hosting the Israeli president, a man that has incited genocide, resulting in at least 800 complaints from the community about police misconduct - a record high number of complaints against the Police,”
“The independent investigation and oversight of 9 February by the Police-Watchdog (LECC) is being undermined by the Police continuing to pursue arrests against the community, and using excessive force. People are afraid to come forward with their stories because the next day the Police might break down your door - it’s intolerable,”
“Premier Chris Minns has exposed the people of NSW to massive civil liability risks as a result of wrongful arrests, excessive force and assaults against members of the community. That liability sits squarely with his Government,”
“All charges against every person charged that night at Town Hall should now be dropped. The entire police operation was built around unlawful restrictions that had no legal force.”