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SMH.com.au·4 min read·medium

Police ‘gave control of CBD’ to Opera House protesters, royal commission hears

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Patrick Begley
Police ‘gave control of CBD’ to Opera House protesters, royal commission hears
✦AI Summary

A royal commission in Australia is investigating claims that police effectively ceded control of the Sydney CBD to pro-Palestine protesters following the October 7 attacks. Jewish community leaders testified that police advised them to avoid the area, raising concerns about safety and institutional response.

Why it matters

The testimony highlights tensions regarding public safety, freedom of protest, and the protection of minority communities during periods of geopolitical conflict.

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Share A A A Police effectively handed control of the Sydney CBD to pro-Palestine protesters two days after the October 7 attack by advising the Jewish community to stay away, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard.

About 700 people attended the October 9 rally marching from Town Hall to the Opera House forecourt, where a number of protesters chanted “Where’s the Jews” and lit flares.

Demonstrators at a rally at the Opera House in October 2023. Getty David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, told the commission he recalled advice from NSW Police that the CBD in general should be avoided by Jews on October 9.

“It was effectively police transferring control of the CBD to the protesters,” Ossip said.

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