‘A disgrace’: minister bristles over protest grilling
NSW’s embattled police minister has labelled a predecessor a disgrace and promised to outlast the state’s opposition leader amid intense scrutiny over anti-Israel protesters.
Yasmin Catley
Yasmin Catley’s impassioned defence came hours after police announced the arrest of a man over alleged offensive comments made at a Free Palestine rally on the weekend.
The police minister was the centre of the coalition’s attention for a fourth straight Question Time on Tuesday over her leadership during heightened tensions concerning the war in Gaza.
Ms Catley bristled when former police minister Paul Toole asked if she had refused to do her job by not giving directions to police on operational matters.
“If I interfered in police, I could say, ‘I want you arrested, I want you arrested, I want you arrested’,” she said, gesturing at opposition MPs.
“You know that … there should always be a separation of power.
“You are a disgrace for asking that … and it’s below you.”
The Swansea MP was labelled incompetent by Opposition Leader Mark Speakman last week but on Tuesday she said he was the “only person that’s going to lose your job in here.”
Ms Catley also denied raising concerns with Premier Chris Minns over his decision last week to light the Opera House in the Israeli flag’s colours.
The decision led police to counsel the Jewish community against going to the Opera House and the calling of a snap pro-Palestine rally, at which flares were lit and a small group spewed anti-Semitic rhetoric.
A subsequent rally in support of a free Palestine was held in Hyde Park on Sunday and attended by about 6000 people.
While that rally was largely uneventful, one attendee has since been arrested over alleged offensive comments.
The Mount Druitt man, 63, was charged with using offensive language and was bailed to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on November 15.
Video was posted online of a man at Sunday’s otherwise uneventful rally making a number of comments including, “Get the f***ing Jews wiped out.”
In the footage, the man is approached by police and told it is an offence to swear in public.
After moving on a short distance the man stops and continues to rant, stating: “(In) Australia, a democratic country, I can exercise my opinion. I can say whatever I want”.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Alex Ryvchin described the comments as another example of hatred and incitement brought to our streets.
“The leaders of these rallies who insist on bringing this intolerance to our cities should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.
Police have also released images of another man who allegedly let flares off in the Opera House forecourt at last Monday’s rally.
A task force is continuing work to find those who chanted anti-Semitic slogans.
Report by Luke Costin and Duncan Murray in Sydney/AAP
