NSW police commissioner recants on violent arrests
Following Police Commissioner Lanyon’s recantation on public radio, the lawyer of Palestinian Australian man Eyad Shadid, Nick Hanna, was informed that the police prosecutor had told Downing Centre Local Court that it was dropping the charges pressed against his client in respect of his actions during the Herzog protest, and this was due to the review finding the charges had been laid under an unconstitutional law.
Eyad Shadid, a 25-year-old Palestinian Australian man, was arrested near where a group of Muslim men were praying when they were grabbed by police officers. A police prosecutor told Downing centre local court on Wednesday they were withdrawing the two charges that were later laid against Shadid, which included refusing to comply with a police direction and resisting or hindering an officer.
Shadid’s lawyer, Nick Hanna, told Guardian Australia after the charges were withdrawn on Wednesday afternoon that in his view “the evidence served by the police in this case clearly established that Mr Shadid did not commit any offence and he should never have been charged to begin with”.
“Today’s outcome is an important first step in the path to justice for Mr Shadid and the rest of those arrested at the Herzog protest,” he said.
NSW Police used extraordinary protest restriction powers linked to the “Public Assembly Restriction Declaration” (PARD) laws, the NSW Court of Appeal later ruled those laws unconstitutional, where NSW police clearly used excessive force during the demonstrations opposed to Prime Minister Albanese’s invitation to the war criminal and advocate of genocide.
Chris Minns leads a minority Labor government in NSW with 46 of the 93 lower-house seats, one short of a majority. The Coalition holds 36 seats, the Greens hold 3, and independents and minor parties hold 8.
One Nation currently holds no seats in the NSW Parliament.
In this zionist dominated parliament containing many apologists for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the Greens have been prominent critics of protest restrictions and police actions during Gaza-related demonstrations, including protests against the visit of Isaac Herzog.
The Minns Labor government has limited political room to move under pressure from the Israel lobby. This has caused an exodus from the Party by its members. The Labor Party exists in name only, not able to do the bidding of its corporate masters, it’s term in office only made possible by a moribund Liberal Party.
Former ALP stalwart Doc Evatt, born in Maitland New South Wales and Federal MP for the seat of Barton, opposed the attempt by the Liberal Party of Australia government of Robert Menzies to ban the Communist Party in the early 1950s.
The party of Ben Chifley and Doc Evatt is no more.
Ian Curr
18 May 2026