Nineteen people were last night arrested at Port Botany during a pro-Palestine rally, protesting against the Israeli-owned ZIM Shipping company, one of whose ships was scheduled to dock at the Patricks wharves in Sydney.
Protesters were met by a large riot squad contingent, who forcibly moved protesters off the road after they performed a peaceful sit-in, dragging several away to waiting wagons. One of those arrested was Maritime Union of Australia Sydney branch secretary, Paul Keating.
There were also reports of police members wearing far-right aligned insignia on their uniforms, such as the so-called ‘Thin Blue Line’ patch, which has been banned by the Metropolitan Police in the UK, while the Queensland Police Force has advised its members not to wear it. NSW Police says that it has “not received any reports of an officer wearing the patch which is not part of the standard NSWPF uniform”. The NSW Premier, Chris Minns, defended the actions of police.
The arrested protesters are facing a maximum of 2 years imprisonment and a $22,000 fine under the draconian anti-protest laws introduced by the last Coalition state government with support from NSW Labor, who were voted in last year.
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