After Labor Friends of Palestine members and other ALP observers were removed, questioned or intimidated by NSW Police at state conference, LFOP wrote this letter to NSW ALP office.
Mr Dominic Ofner
General Secretary
Australian Labor Party NSW Branch
Dear Mr Ofner,
We write to express our concerns regarding the presence and behaviour of NSW Police at the NSW State Labor Conference on the weekend [4-5 July 2026]. The NSW Branch promotes conference as an opportunity for rank-and-file engagement, debate and democracy. Instead we saw police used to intimidate rank-and-file members and to suppress political expression.
Firstly, we question the role of NSW Police at party political events on principle. While they may have a legitimate role in protecting elected officials, this should not extend to policing peaceful political expression. It is a dangerous precedent when state power is used to silence members of political parties simply because they express views that their party leadership finds uncomfortable.
We are also concerned about specific incidents involving LFOP members where police intervention was inappropriate.
On Saturday, two rank-and-file members – one of whom is a member of LFOP – silently displayed the Palestinian flag with a list of core Labor principles. This did not threaten the safety of anybody at the conference, nor did it disrupt proceedings. Nothing about the display was contrary to party policy: Labor formally recognised the state of Palestine with much self-congratulation last year and the words on the flag were a list of values that every member would share.
We understand that the members tried to have a conversation with a security guard regarding the banner but were swiftly – and roughly – removed from the gallery by a police officer. It is not clear on what grounds the police officer took this action or what authority he had to remove party members from a private political event. The members were then ejected from the conference and banned from returning. Again, we fail to see the grounds for this decision. They had not broken any rules, their protest was peaceful and their banner was not in any way offensive. The display of banners, particularly from the observers’ balconies during leaders’ speeches has been a long-standing feature of state Labor conferences at the Sydney Town Hall.
On Sunday a small group of LFOP members displayed a banner and hung keffiyehs over the railing of the observers’ balcony. Again, their protest was peaceful and did not disturb proceedings. After this, an LFOP member was pulled aside and questioned by two police officers. Again, no reason was given. Members have also reported police officers taking photographs of people who were visibly supportive of Palestine, for example those wearing keffiyehs. There were also reports of private security guards demanding to see the badge numbers only of delegates wearing keffiyehs, with no similar demand of delegates seated around them and no explanation of why they were singled out.
The presence and behaviour of police and security guards at conference seems to have been designed to target, intimidate and silence rank-and-file members, with a particular focus on those supporting Palestine. We wrote to you prior to conference outlining our disappointment that there would not be a proper ‘Australia and the World’ policy debate in which members could express their branches’ views regarding peace, human rights and international law. It is entirely unacceptable that police and security guards were then used to suppress the only other means members had to demonstrate their support for Palestine and opposition to genocide.
The use of police in this way represents a massive waste of public resources and an alarming abuse of state power. The NSW Police are not a private security service to be used to protect the ALP from legitimate political debate and dissent. In fact, the police behaviour on Saturday is an embarrassment and makes a mockery of Head Office claims that conference is an inclusive, democratic forum where genuine political debate is encouraged.
We request that head office review the events of Saturday, including the role of police at party events, with a view to adopting an approach that maximises opportunities for members to express their views, including dissenting views through peaceful protest. Furthermore, we urge you to provide a formal apology to the individual members for the way in which they were treated.
We look forward to receiving your response on these matters.
Yours sincerely,
John Cooper, Gosford Branch
Nazira Sowaid, Wentworthville Branch
Victor Zhang, Ryde Branch
Nerida Turrise, Tumbi Umbi Branch
Dave Hauser, Parramatta Branch
Caroline Staples, Berala Branch
George Campbell, Auburn-Lidcombe Branch
Robyn Gilbert, Clovelly Branch
Robyn Gilbert, Clovelly Branch
Louisa Romanous, Toongabbie Branch
Nicole Campbell, Padstow Branch
On behalf of Labor Friends of Palestine (NSW).