Shocking footage of an Orthodox Jew holding an Australian flag being arrested after he allegedly clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters has sparked outrage.
Osher Feldman was arrested for disorderly conduct in Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD on Sunday, where 10,000 pro-Palestinian supporters attended a rally.
He was filmed being escorted from the site by police officers shortly after the protest concluded on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the start of deadly Hamas attacks on Israel.
Mr. Feldman became visibly upset when his kippah fell from his head as he was being led to a police van surrounded by half a dozen officers, repeatedly saying: “Where’s my cap? I need it on my head.”
He was also heard telling police to “stop touching me.”
Feldman later went to X to confirm he was the man in the footage obtained by Sky News while criticizing the police’s actions.
‘This is, unfortunately, me. “My ‘crime’ was flying an Australian flag in Australia,” he wrote.
‘The police ‘allowed’ me to enter but insisted on escorting me ‘for my safety.’ I didn’t get into arguments or confrontations with anyone.
The arrest of Osher Feldman (pictured center), who was carrying an Australian flag at a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday has outraged the Jewish community.
‘Then, out of nowhere, they ‘stopped’ me and dragged me out of the park like an animal. They didn’t even ask me to leave.
He accused the police of using “ridiculously excessive force”, dragging him “like an animal”.
“They also refused to put my kippah back on when the physical abuse caused it to fall off,” he added.
‘I am moved, but I will not be intimidated. I am a proud Australian Jew.
New South Wales Police did not respond specifically to claims made by Mr Feldman when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
“A man was arrested in Hyde Park by NSW Police for disturbing the peace,” a spokesperson said.
“He was released without charge once outside the park grounds.”
Mr. Feldman said it was ‘shocked, shocked and dismayed.”
“I also feel physically bad for being pushed in a hot van to the station for no reason.”
The incident also outraged the Australian Jewish Association (AJA).
“The man in the video… is an active member of the Orthodox Jewish community in Sydney,” AJA president Dr David Adler told Daily Mail Australia.
Feldman (pictured) was arrested for disorderly conduct in Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD on Sunday, where 10,000 pro-Palestinian supporters attended a rally.
Feldman wrote about his experience in a post on social media site X (pictured)
“It appears his only ‘crime’ was waving an Australian flag near Hamas and Hezbollah supporters in Sydney’s CBD.”
Dr. Adler said Mr. Feldman did not argue with anyone.
‘The New South Wales Police decided, instead of protecting him, to ‘detain’ him and remove him for his own safety.
‘Once again we see the police not dealing with the real threat of potentially violent protesters, but instead removing a peaceful Jewish man.
“We’ve seen this before, when a different Jewish man was ejected from Sydney City Hall grounds on October 9 last year.”
The AJA president said such arrests “effectively handed control of Sydney’s streets to an extremist mob and, not for the first time, have turned parts of Sydney into a ‘no-go zone for law-abiding citizens’.”
Dr. Adler added that there are “growing concerns within the Jewish community about the police failing to protect the rights expected of a healthy liberal democracy, but rather allowing aggressive disruptors to rule the streets.”
New South Wales Police confirmed that a man, aged 28, was arrested on Elizabeth Street for alleged disorderly conduct.
“The man was taken to the Day Street police station, where he was spoken to and released.”
Another man was arrested for allegedly holding a sign with the Nazi swastika replacing the Star of David on Israel’s flag.
A second man was arrested for allegedly holding a sign with the Nazi swastika (pictured) replacing the Star of David on Israel’s flag.
New South Wales Police said that at around 1.20pm, a 56-year-old man was arrested for allegedly displaying a swastika symbol.
“He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol at a public event without reasonable excuse.”
Despite the arrests, Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna said police were generally satisfied with the behavior of the crowd estimated at 10,000.
“NSW Police worked closely with our partner agencies and protest organizers to execute a significant and robust policing operation across Sydney’s CBD, which evidently had a successful outcome,” he said.
