New video footage shows the full minute leading up to a man being punched several times by New South Wales (NSW) Police during Monday night’s protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Protest Confrontation Details Emerge
A shorter clip of the incident, which went viral on Monday, showed uniformed officers striking the man, but lacked the context of what preceded the altercation.
The new footage, shared with ABC NEWS Verify by a protester named James, depicts the man standing within a group of protesters on George Street, across from Town Hall. The crowd was observing a separate scuffle between police and another protester.
At approximately 1:07 in the video, words were exchanged between a bike squad police officer and the man in a white shirt after the officer appeared to reach for someone nearby.
The sequence of events that followed is partially unclear. The bike squad officer pushed the man, who then appeared to grab at the officer’s bicycle. The man then raised his hands.
The officer then grabbed the man’s shirt and appeared to trip over his bike. The man placed his hand on the officer’s shoulder before two other police officers began punching him.
James, who filmed the confrontation, described the scene as “really alarming,” stating, “I witnessed him get pushed. He was sort of drawn into an officer who then tripped over his bike and then police just laid into him.”
Yesterday, the NSW premier and senior police defended officers against claims of excessive force following several clashes between police and protesters at the rally. Twenty-seven people were arrested, including 10 for assaulting police. Nine protesters have since been charged.
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