Over a hundred demonstrators converged on Sydney’s central business district to voice their opposition to ‘police brutality’.
The commotion erupted near Oxford Street on Flinders Street after the Pride in Protest group orchestrated an anti-police rally around 8:30 PM on Friday.
The demonstration brought traffic to a halt as participants brandished flags and vocalised their demand for police to leave the vicinity, with law enforcement personnel positioned only a short distance away.
Tensions escalated when police had to physically repel some protestors who attempted to bypass them and access the street.
“Pride in Protest’s objective with this march is to call for an end to acts of police violence, which include the killings of individuals such as Luke Davies and Jesse Baird, as well as the deaths of Aboriginal people in custody, like Veronica Baxter, an Indigenous trans woman, in 2009,” the group declared in their press release.
A video shared on X by Brian Thompson, a senior reporter for SBS, captured the protestors congregating at a major intersection within the CBD.
Live Traffic NSW released an advisory, alerting drivers about the altered traffic conditions stemming from the police activity in the area.
Speaking with Dail Mail Australia, a NSW Police spokesperson said that actions were being taken to clear the road, stating that the Surry Hills Police Area Command, aided by officers from other units, managed to redirect the crowd to the sidewalk.
The protest eventually dispersed around 9:06 PM, following a brief occupation of Goulburn Street outside the Surry Hills Police Station by approximately 50 individuals, who were then instructed to vacate the road.
The event concluded without any injuries, arrests, or property damage.
This protest occurs as Sydney gears up for the annual Mardi Gras parade on Oxford Street, where thousands are expected to participate on Saturday night.
Following the arrest of senior constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, NSW Police were initially disinvited from the event by the organisers. However, a subsequent reversal of this decision now permits officers to partake in the parade in civilian attire.
The organisers explained that this allowance was made for officers who dedicate their time and efforts to the community, aiming to present them in a respectful manner as the community collectively navigates through the current tragedy.
