Sydney police to be investigated by watchdog after anti-Herzog protest violence

Police detain a protester at a rally in Sydney against a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday

The New South Wales (NSW) Police watchdog will investigate allegations of misconduct against officers after violent clashes with crowds protesting a visit by the Israeli president this week.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission said it had decided it was "in the public interest" to investigate Monday's police operation after receiving a "significant number of complaints".

Videos that emerged after the rally appeared to show police punching protesters and dragging away a group of praying Muslim men. A state MP was among those who said she was injured in the police operation.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has previously defended officers, saying they showed "remarkable restraint".

The commission on Friday said it would review all available material, including video footage, as well as conducting hearings before delivering a public report to the state parliament.

Despite objections from pro-Palestinian groups, the government invited him to Australia after an antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in December, saying it would help the Jewish community heal.

The Palestine Action Group (PAG), which organised Monday's protest, welcomed the investigation and called on Lanyon and NSW Premier Chris Minns to resign.

"The police operation bore all the hallmarks of a police riot, targeting peaceful demonstrators," said Amal Naser. "Genocide is a crime. Protest is not."

The Australian National Imams Council on Friday said the police conduct had not reflected "the Australia we know" and reiterated its demand for an apology.

Civil liberties in NSW had "steadily eroded" under Minns, Naser added, saying that Monday's events were a "dangerous escalation".

Immediately after the Bondi attack Minns introduced restrictions on protests and ahead of Herzog's visit announced additional "major event" powers effectively giving police authority to shut down areas of the city.

Monday's rally took place just half an hour after protesters lost a legal bid to overturn the major powers designation.

The rules allowed demonstrators to gather but forbade them from marching. Police say "a number of melees" broke out after crowds were ordered to move on from the area.

Twenty-seven people were arrested at the protest and nine later charged, while 10 officers were assaulted, police said.

"The NSW Police Force will work cooperatively with the LECC," a spokesperson said on Friday.

Minns too has defended police actions, saying on Tuesday that police had been "put in an impossible situation", urging the public "not to look at a 10-second clip without the full context".

On Thursday he refused to apologise to the Muslim community for police breaking up their prayer, saying he did not believe officers would have done so "unless it was in the middle of a riot". Lanyon has apologised "for any offence that may have been taken".