'Incited the crowd to march': Police attempt to shift blame for their actions at Sydney protest

The Socialist Bulletin Staff - 10/2/2026

FOLLOWING shameful videos published online in the wake of yesterday's protests, New South Wales Police have begun to deny the actions they were caught doing on video, and shift the blame for the violence they started.

While Premier Minns admitted that the scenes in Sydney were 'ugly', he nonetheless came to the defence of the police, stating that the Police 'did everything they could to avoid a confrontation.' This is despite the Police blocking access to the agreed place that protest would happen, and responding violently if protestors tried to get to the protest, and those at the protest facing 'the worst police violence' many of them, including former Greens candidate for Grayndler, Hannah Thomas, who lost her eye as a result of police brutality, had seen. 

Premier Minns denied that Police forcefully and violently 'moved on' Muslims in prayer, despite there being several videos from several angles showing this act.

The Assistant Police Commissioner in New South Wales seemingly made up a crime, and accused the protest leaders of 'inciting the crowd to march'. 'Inciting' a group of protestors to march is not an offense, even if the police prevent protestors from doing so.

The Premier additionally accused protestors of starting the violence, something that is extremely easily disproven, by simply reviewing the videos published during the protests.

The Premier concluded his list of lies about the protest by stating that the protests would have gotten significantly more violent if they were allowed to break through police barriers and actually march. As the protestors were non-violent, as evidenced by the many videos of the event, the only way this event could have gotten more violent is if the snipers positioned across the CBD were instructed to shoot.

That the current government in New South Wales is from the 'left' side of mainstream politics is extremely shameful. There is no remotely left of centre party in parliament in New South Wales today. Those in New South Wales, unfortunately, have the decision of corrupt or evil when picking between their two major parties.