Police watchdog to investigate actions of officers at Sydney Town Hall rally

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Jessica McSweeney

The police watchdog will investigate the actions of officers and the NSW Police broadly at Monday’s protest against the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) received a significant number of complaints about police behaviour, after videos emerged of officers aggressively arresting and moving on protesters at Town Hall.

Muslim protesters were forcibly moved-on after the rally.@beastfromthe_middleeast

“Following the receipt of a significant number of complaints, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (the Commission) has decided that it is in the public interest to investigate the police operation at Sydney Town Hall and surrounds on the evening of Monday 9 February 2026, including incidents of alleged misconduct on the part of NSW police officers against persons attending that location for a protest,” a spokesperson said.

The LECC will investigate the lawfulness and appropriateness of the NSW Police Force and individual officers’ behaviour, and will analyse mobile phone footage, documents and other records held by the police.

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The commission will also hold hearings, and a public report will be tabled in NSW Parliament when the investigation concludes.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and NSW Premier Chris Minns have broadly and repeatedly defended the actions of police officers at the protest, where 27 people were arrested and 10 charged.

Police have since confirmed to the Herald that a senior police officer had promised to allow a group of Muslim worshippers to continue with their sunset prayers, only for other officers to forcibly remove them. In phone footage of the incident, a man is seen being pulled to his feet while bowed in prayer and thrown to the ground.

More to come.

Jessica McSweeneyJessica McSweeney is a reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald covering urban affairs and state politics.Connect via email.

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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au