Police leaked emails of people who complained about pepper spray at BLM protests

NSW Police has admitted an embarrassing “administrative error” in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in Sydney.

NSW Police are “making inquiries” into an apparent “administrative error” that resulted in one person who complained about the use of capsicum spray at Sydney’s Central Station being sent the email addresses of more than 150 other people who also complained.

On June 6, following a march through the Sydney CBD protesting police violence and Aboriginal deaths in custody, police used capsicum spray on protesters inside Central Station.

A woman is pushed by a police officer as capsicum spray is used. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It appears pepper spray may have been used at Central Station with @newscomauHQ observing several people on the floor of the concourse following the #blacklivesmatteraustralia rally. pic.twitter.com/1iGlNIDmfK

— Benedict Brook (@BenedictBrook) June 6, 2020

A man after pouring milk on his face after being pepper sprayed by police at Central Station. Picture: Damian Shaw

A woman being treated after being pepper sprayed by police. Picture: Damian Shaw

Several protesters were pepper sprayed. Picture: David Swift

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On Thursday morning, Samuel Leighton-Dore tweeted a photo of a letter from NSW Police, informing him that “a thorough review of the matter” had been conducted and it had “deemed that there is no reason to conduct a further internal investigation”.

@nswpolice have deemed that no further investigation of @nswpolice is necessary. Gosh, imagine life being this easy???????? pic.twitter.com/frqAC98EhB

— Samuel Leighton-Dore (@SamLeightonDore) August 13, 2020

Around an hour later Mr Leighton-Dore returned to Twitter to report he’d been sent another correspondence containing (by his count) 155 email addresses of people who had also complained.

So the @nswpolice just forwarded me, accidentally I assume, the names and emails of every person who complained about the Central Station incident. Felt like a significant data breach, so I called up to suggest an OAIC report, and they hung up on me. Yo @GladysB pick up your kids

— Samuel Leighton-Dore (@SamLeightonDore) August 13, 2020

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Mr Leighton-Dore wasn’t at Central Station when the incident occurred but complained after seeing footage and talking to people who were, he told Gizmodo.

He also said a NSW Police representative previously told him no one else had complained, but when asked by news.com.au the police opted not to confirm or deny that.

Police surround protesters outside Central Station on June 6. Picture: Damian Shaw

“The NSW Police Force has been made aware that an email was sent to a member of the community, which contained a document with multiple email addresses,” a NSW Police Force spokesperson said in a statement.

“No other personal details were included in the email.

“At face value, it appears be an administrative error, however, we are making inquiries and will discuss with those whose email address was shared with the individual.”