NSW Police have defended a police officer who was photographed following a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney flashing an "OK" sign – a symbol also associated with white power and right-wing extremism.
About 300 protesters had gathered at Hyde Park on Friday night to protest against black deaths in custody, and stand in solidarity with Long Bay prisoners.
Protesters were met by hundreds of police who quickly dispersed the rally, NSW Police Operation Commander Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said.
Around the time of the protest, a police officer among a group of police was photographed making the "OK" hand gesture. Video of the moment shows the police walking past in silence, while the officer flashes the gesture at the camera as he passes. There was no verbal exchange during the filming.
In a statement, a NSW Police spokesperson said the officer had been spoken to and "did not intentionally make a gesture that could be deemed offensive."
"Further, the officer indicated he was responding to a group of women about the night being ‘OK’ and used a hand symbol as he was wearing a face mask," the spokesperson said. "He did not know the gesture had any other meaning."
A statue of Captain James Cook under police guard during the Black Lives Matter protest on Friday night. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
But Greens MP David Shoebridge said given the context of the evening, that gesture cannot be used innocently.
"This was a protest about the racial bias of police and the criminal justice system, and this officer's response was a white supremacist symbol," he said. "There needs to be zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour."
The Anti-Defamation League said in most circumstances the symbol was used harmlessly to stand for "OK". However it was co-opted by 4chan in 2017 who spread claims it was a hate symbol.
While initially a 4chan hoax according to the league, it has been used un-ironically by right-wing extremists – in March last year, Brenton Tarrant flashed the symbol in a court appearance after being charged with the murder of 49 people in mass mosque shootings in New Zealand. He has since pleaded guilty to murdering 51 people.
NSW Police was asked if it would educate officers on the racist meaning the symbol holds. Their spokesperson did not respond directly, but said: "The NSW Police Force works closely to foster a strong and cohesive partnership with Aboriginal communities and other groups and does not appreciate irresponsible inflammatory commentary in this space."
A police officer in Victoria drew similar criticism over the use of the hand gesture last year. Victoria police denied the symbol was a "white power" sign, but the officer was reprimanded after he posted images associated with white supremacist groups to his personal social media account.
Mr Shoebridge said the Australian Defence Force has taken an unequivocal stance on the gesture, promising to dismiss any officer seen making it, and NSW Police needed to take a similarly tough stance.
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Rachel Clun is a journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2020-06-13 03:40:28Z
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