NSW’s Police Watchdog Will Investigate The Oxford Street Gay Bar Raids
The police operation that tore through several Sydney gay venues during Pride Month is now under formal scrutiny.
New South Wales’ police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, has ordered a misconduct investigation into the raids, after a wave of complaints from patrons, venue staff and two of the city’s most senior elected officials.
On the night of 13 June, large groups of officers moved through Oxford Street with sniffer dogs, hitting venues including Universal, Kinselas and Palms. Police say the operation was meant to disrupt drug supply and address anti-social behaviour.
They carried out 93 searches, recorded 42 drug detections, and charged one person with supplying a small quantity. At Universal, officers reportedly walked in mid drag show and refused to leave, sending patrons for the exits.
What people describe is hard to square with a routine drug operation. In a joint letter to the watchdog, Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and Lord Mayor Clover Moore said patrons were shoved, pushed against walls, and made to remove clothing in public, with some officers allegedly telling revellers to “f*** off” or “if you don’t like it, move to Melbourne”.
“There was no riot or crime wave on Oxford Street last Saturday night that warranted such excessive, aggressive and intimidating police actions,” they wrote, adding that neither had fielded so many complaints about police in more than a decade.
Drag performer Tim Millgate, on stage at Universal as Tina Turnon, told AAP the night undid years of work. “A lot of work has gone into mending the relationship and they’ve brought that undone. It did not feel like they were trying to keep us safe.”
What happens next
The LECC’s Acting Chief Commissioner, Anina Johnson, has referred the complaint to NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, and the force has been told to preserve CCTV and body-worn camera footage.
Police must now tell the Commission what action they plan to take, and the watchdog can use its statutory powers if it isn’t satisfied. NSW Police said it was assessing the referral but that it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Greenwich called the move a “welcome first step” and said the community “should be able to go out, celebrate Pride Month, support LGBTQ venues and not be afraid of police intimidation”.
For many, the raids stirred old memories. Veteran 78er Garry Wotherspoon quit the force’s LGBTQIA+ advisory committee, writing that the operation sent a “chill” and harked back to the “notorious police raids of the early 1980s”.
A 2023 state inquiry had already found police spent decades failing to properly investigate gay hate crimes, so trust was thin to start with.
Anyone affected on the night can contact Alex Greenwich’s office, the Inner City Legal Centre, or the LECC directly. QLife offers free, confidential LGBTQIA+ peer support on 1800 184 527.
