A case study: Are NSW Police officers showing excessive force on campus?
Three protestors were interviewed on their experiences regarding abuse of power and excessive force, this is what they had to say on the matter.
In a statement, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) expressed their dismay on the events that occurred on October 14 at the University of Sydney and the surrounding area around campus.
"We were appalled by the scenes of police violence that took place on campus"
They NTEU went on to explain that they were not shocked due to the multiple instances of excessive fines racking up in the "tens of thousands of dollars" over the course of these protests and the numerous students which were left "injured and traumatised".
We witnessed a dramatic escalation in the level of police violence on campus. Without warning police grabbed, dragged, tripped and pushed to the ground both staff and students alike, dislocating the wrist of one student and leaving many others battered and bruised
Notably, an expert in protest law, Professor Simon Price who was a "legal observer" was forcefully "detained while observing the protest and assaulted by the police".
However, according to a statement issued by the Dean at the University of Sydney, the professor expressed that he was not in a serious condition after the assault.
The Dean's response went on to state his dismay against the 'hard' style of public order policing and how his "immediate concern" is the welfare of staff and students.
In that same statement he also said:
Of course, my comments should not be viewed as stepping back from the University’s continued support for the valid intent behind the PHO, which serves to keep staff and students on campus COVID-safe.
The facts and figures on NSW Police:
The NSW Police Force 2018-19 Annual Report in the Allegations within complaints made against police officers section brought to light the figures that exhibited 892 cases of Use of Force. The 2020 report has notably not been published.
According to a figure originally acquired by the NSW Greens and published by The Guardian just in this last financial year:
$24 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent on nearly 300 civil legal claims submitted in opposition to NSW Police officers
In an interview published in the Guardian, the NSW Greens MP, David Shoebridge stated while the figures revealed quite a bit, it did not explain how the officers in question were handled and if the claims brought against officers had any consequences.
He also stated that the end results of these cases are often suppressed.
In response to this case study on the Fee Hikes and cuts movement regarding the NSW Police force, a media representative responded:
"In regards to protest activity, the NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to protest peacefully and is committed to working with all groups to ensure the safety of the public. Anyone who breaks the law or engages in antisocial behaviour will be dealt with accordingly."
