A Sydney protest that gained international attention after it erupted with anti-Semitic chants and hate slurs has been branded safe because no one was injured.
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NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley was on Tuesday accused of being in a "hazy daydream" about the events leading up the controversial pro-Palestine rally from the Tony Hall to the Opera House.
But she defended her decision-making around the protest, saying the public should be thankful it did not erupt into violence.
"It's very important - and I want the committee to know this - that there was not one person, not one member of the public injured," she told a budget estimates hearing.
"There were not any other people injured who were actually involved in that gathering and not one police officer was injured."
"That outcome is significant and it's one that we should actually thank the police for."
The minister, who has faced fierce criticism for not stepping in to shut down a rally that featured some attendees lighting flares and spewing anti-Semitic rhetoric, stood by her handling of the event.
"I still would have accepted and worked with the police in the way that I did," she said.
"The NSW Police's job is to keep our streets safe and they did that on that night."
Internal police emails released to parliament last month revealed senior police held concerns the decision to light the Sydney Opera House in the Israeli flag would inflame community tensions.
Premier Chris Minns has also conceded he made a mistake by not acting on warnings for potential escalation.
However, Ms Catley said she did believe it was "a significant cause for alarm" in her discussion with the police commissioner on the day before the protest took place.
"I didn't envisage any concerns at the time when I found out the Opera House sails were going to be lit," she said.
But Ms Catley was unable to correctly recall when she first became aware of the decision to light up the iconic building, at first telling the hearing "I think it was the sixth" - the day before the Hamas attack on Israel took place.
The minister also conceded she did not call the premier the day before the planned protest when it became evident community tensions were rising.
"There were no issues on the Sunday," she said, adding she spoke to Mr Minns "at least once" on the day of the protest but was unable to recall the conversation.
Former police minister Paul Toole said Ms Catley's recollection of the sequence of events leading up to the protest was a "hazy daydream".
"We were all hoping to gain some clarity from today's questioning but unfortunately we have been left more confused than ever," he said.
"These are two very serious law-and-order issues concerning many NSW residents, yet this minister didn't pick up the phone to the premier once."
Australian Associated Press
