NSW MP sacked over claims police used ‘fear and intimidation’ on protesters

Anthony D’Adam was sacked after likening NSW police who arrested pro-Palestine protesters to ‘an occupying army using force to control a civilian population’.

NSW government frontbencher Anthony D'Adam leading a pro-Palestinian protest march in Sydney.

A NSW Labor MP who condemned police for arresting pro-Palestinian protesters and likened police to “an occupying army” has been sacked by Premier Chris Minns.

Mr Minns announced on Thursday afternoon he had axed Anthony D’Adam as a Parliamentary Secretary after the Upper House MP made a speech in parliament attacking police who arrested “harmless” protesters.

In the late-night address, Mr D’Adam objected to the arrest of three protesters in Sydney while performing a “die-in”, which he described as “a form of street theatre designed to highlight the genocide occurring in Palestine”. “Despite dressing in military-style fatigues, (police) must understand that they are not an occupying army using force to control a civilian population,” Mr D’Adam said.

The Public Order and Riot Squad approach at many Palestine protests made a “liar” of Commissioner Karen Webb, he said.

“It used fear and intimidation as a means of obtaining compliance,” he said.

Mr D’Adam defended the blocking of roads and access to shipping ports by protesters, saying that was not “real violence”.

Anthony D'Adam condemned police for arresting pro-Palestinian protesters . Picture: Alexi Demetriadi

“Real violence is what is being inflicted daily on innocent men, women and children in Gaza. Real violence is the brutality meted out by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. It is not performing a “die-in” on a Sydney street as part of a peaceful protest.”

On Thursday Mr Minns described the comments about NSW police as “reprehensible” and revoked Mr D’Adam’s appointments as Parliamentary Secretary for Customer Service and Digital Government, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services, and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Justice.

“Prior to that I asked him to withdraw the statements he made in parliament last night regarding NSW Police and the NSW Police Commissioner,” Mr Minns said. “He has refused.”

He said Mr D’Adam had not raised his criticisms about NSW Police with him, the Police Minister or with NSW Police. “The first we heard about it was his speech in Parliament,” he said.

“Mr D’Adam’s comments do not represent the views of the NSW government.

“The NSW Police Force does an incredible and extremely difficult job and they have the full support of the NSW Government,” Mr Minns said.