An ‘absolute right to do anything’: Protest policing in NSW's last decade of a full-time riot squad

Abstract

This article evaluates the way in which the New South Wales Public Order and Riot Squad has been used to police political protests. The use of force, strategic arrests and protection of business interests can be seen across local protests, as well as larger international events. It is argued that the shift towards paramilitary policing is having profound impacts on the policing of protests at all levels. The Public Order and Riot Squad does not just target the risk that it was designed to combat (extreme riots) and the risk which is often thought to be its justification (counter-terrorism). The article also considers the statutory framework for authorising protests, arguing that it is not just police tactics that support the status quo, but also the supposedly neutral method of evaluating public safety.