When Protest Policing Mirrors State Interests
THE ACTORS: The primary actors include the New South Wales (NSW) police force, the NSW government (specifically Police Minister Yasmin Catley), Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and the Labor Friends of Palestine group. The protest itself was a public demonstration against Herzog’s visit, indicating a broader network of pro-Palestinian activists. THE FUNDING: NSW police are funded by the Australian
state. For the financial year 2023-2024, the NSW Police Force received an allocation of over A$5 billion from the state budget (NSW Government, 2023). This funding directly underwrites their operational capacity, including riot control and public order management. President Herzog's visit, while not directly funded by NSW, represents an articulation of diplomatic and economic ties between
Australia and Israel, which in 2022 amounted to over A$1.8 billion in two-way trade (DFAT, 2023). Protecting visiting dignitaries is an expected state function, but the methods employed here draw scrutiny. THE INCENTIVES: The NSW police and government have an incentive to maintain public order and ensure the safety of a visiting head of state, which includes suppressing disruptive protest.
However, the intensity of the force used – documented instances of pepper spraying, punching a man with hands raised, and dispersing praying individuals – suggests an incentive beyond mere crowd control. This level of response often signals a political imperative to discourage future protests, particularly those that could embarrass or politically inconvenience diplomatic relations. The Labor