Anti-China activist to ‘Castle it’ after arrest at Sydney market protest

Human rights activist Drew Pavlou has criticised what he described as the “underhanded” behaviour of NSW police after being arrested at an anti-Chinese government protest.

Human rights activist Drew Pavlou being arrested in Sydney after holding a "Down with Xi Jinping" sign. He was held in custody for five hours. Picture: Twitter

A human rights activist has been arrested at a pro-democracy and anti-Chinese government protest in the northwest Sydney suburb of Eastwood.

Now released, Drew Pavlou criticised what he described as the “underhanded” behaviour of NSW police and said he would defend the charges in the name of free speech, vowing to go as far as the High Court.

“We’re going to Castle it,” he said, referring to the Australian film in which a homeowner takes a matter to the High Court after a developer tries to seize their land.

Mr Pavlou said officers on Saturday said they decided to charge him for a similar protest the previous week. “It was almost like they were trying to intimidate me,” he said.

Mr Pavlou is a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party and was controversially suspended by the University of Queensland in 2020 over his activism. He is vying for a Queensland Senate seat in the federal election.

Mr Pavlou said he had organised a rally of about 30, mostly anti-Chinese government activists focused on Hong Kong, Uighur Muslims, and Tibet at the Eastwood community marketplace on Saturday.

They held signs with messages such as “Free Hong Kong”, “Free Tibet”, and “Down with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)”.

He said an altercation took place about 6pm, when a group of pro-Chinese government bystanders started to yell at him and his fellow protesters.

“The police pulled me aside and they said your actions are now causing fear and alarm to the public. This can escalate to violence, and there’s a threat, and so we’re directing you to move on.

“I just said, I believe in free speech and as a matter of free speech, I won’t be moving on. You’ll have to arrest me.”

Mr Pavlou says he was released on bail about midnight on the condition he would not go within one kilometre of Eastwood and Epping.

A NSW police spokesman confirmed the arrest took place in the Eastwood community marketplace about 6.30pm on Saturday evening.

“The gathering was obstructing pedestrian traffic and interfering with stall owners’ ability to conduct their business,” said the spokesman. “Police were concerned that the unauthorised assembly was causing fear and alarm among the community due to the escalating anti-social behaviour of those present.

“Police spoke with a 22-year-old man and issued him a move along direction. When the man failed to comply with that move along direction, he was arrested.”

No one else was arrested.