A peaceful picket at SEC Plating in Belmore descended into violence when the NSW Police violently attacked and assaulted protestors this morning, leaving one woman with serious facial injuries and arresting multiple demonstrators.
SEC Plating reportedly is involved in providing plating services for various parts used in F-35 jets. The State of Israel's fleet of around 40 F-35 rely on the global supply chain and supplement supply from countries like Australia to continue the genocide against the Palestinian people.
Peter O'Brien Lawyers have been engaged to represent the community member that was assaulted, along with other members of the community who were arrested and currently being held in custody after witnessing the assault. Images seen by Senator David Shoebridge and Sue Higginson MLC show the shocking extent of the injuries experienced, they have been reserved by the victim of the assault. The victim of the assault is undergoing medical tests this morning, and the extent of the injuries may require facial reconstruction surgery.
Greens MP and NSW Justice Spokesperson Sue Higginson said:
"The actions of the NSW Police can only be described as brutal and excessive, there is a significant question about the lawfulness of what they have done to members of the community exercising their rights of assembly this morning,"
"I have spoken with the people in police custody this morning, in my legal capacity, and they can not believe what they saw happen to the individual who has sustained serious injury as a result of the excessive police force,"
"Premier Chris Minns must answer for his empowerment of the NSW Police State against protest, with his Labor Government continuing the vilification and targeting of community members who are taking a stand against the ongoing genocide being committed against the Palestinian People,"
"If the NSW Police feel empowered to violently and brutally assault members of the community engaging in lawful and legitimate protest, then it is the responsibility of our democratic Government to call this out, and to act to protect protest,"
"This news this morning is part of a wider trend in NSW towards an authoritarian state, where the NSW Police are deployed against innocent people with the intent to chill and intimidate people who are exercising what should be an guaranteed right to all people living in a democracy - the right to protest and express political expression free from state violence,"
Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
"When police are deployed to protect weapons companies instead of protecting the right to peaceful protest, we must ask whose interests they are really serving.
"Police are being used here to support a corporate-run global weapons chain against a people-powered global peace movement.
"The arrest of multiple peaceful protesters who are calling for Australia to stop arming a genocide shows how far we've moved from protecting peaceful dissent.
"This morning is not isolated, we have seen a disturbing pattern of increased politically motivated violence from police against people peacefully protesting genocide.
"Anyone watching knows it's wrong that police are violently arresting those calling for an end to genocide while simultaneously protecting the companies who profit from the killing."
Rising Tide Organiser Zack Schofield (also arrested) said:
"The State of NSW, and Premier Chris Minns, cannot arrest their way through community who are engaging in legitimate political expression against genocide. I witnessed the brutal assault against a community member this morning, someone who was lawfully expressing themselves in public, and it was sickening,"
Sydney MUA Organiser Shane Reside (also arrested) said:
"I was at this action in my organising capacity with the Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch. After witnessing the brutal assault committed against another member of the community, I called out the police for their actions and on that basis they then targeted me and I was arrested - this is a disgrace,"
