Arab Council Australia expresses deep alarm at the excessive and brutal police force used against peaceful protesters in Sydney on 9 February 2026. What allegedly unfolded was not crowd management, as claimed by police, but a disturbing display of state power aimed at intimidating and silencing legitimate political expression.
Peaceful demonstrators, including individuals engaged in prayer, were subjected to disproportionate and unnecessary violence. Witnesses reported physical assaults, aggressive crowd-control tactics, and the use of paramilitary-style force against citizens who posed no threat. A 76-year-old journalist was punched, injured, detained for five hours, and released without charge. This incident exemplifies the baseless and punitive nature of the policing on the day.
These events reveal a troubling misuse of extraordinary police powers. The invocation of “Major Event” declarations to justify unprecedented force represents a dangerous overreach that undermines democratic rights. This pattern suggests an attempt to retroactively legitimise heavyhanded policing, restrict future demonstrations, and shift responsibility onto protesters for violenceinitiated by police.
Arab Council Australia calls for urgent and transparent accountability, including:
• An independent investigation into who authorised the use of force and the legal basis for those decisions
• The immediate release of all body-worn camera footage and relevant operational directives
• A comprehensive review of police conduct at political demonstrations
• Disciplinary and, where appropriate, legal consequences for officers and commanders responsible
• Reform of extraordinary police powers to prevent their misuse against peaceful citizens.
These incidents are not isolated. They reflect a broader erosion of democratic freedoms in Australia, where dissent is increasingly met with intimidation and force. Targeting peaceful protesters for expressing political views is incompatible with a healthy democracy.
Arab Council Australia stands with all victims of police brutality and reaffirms the right to peaceful assembly without fear of state violence. We urge the NSW Government and police leadership to acknowledge these failures, commit to meaningful reform, and restore public trust in policing thatrespects human rights and civil liberties.