Pride Month police raids called out - Alternative First Responders

Pride Month is a time for celebration and community in the City of Sydney. However, on the 13 June 2026, those celebrations came to an abrupt end as a result of targeted police crackdowns. Excessive, brutal and forceful police raids occurred across LGBTQIA+ venues on and around Oxford Street¹. The incident has sparked an unprecedented number of complaints from City of Sydney constituents as well as the resignation of members from the NSW Police LGBTQIA+ Consultative Committee. The targeted police operation has led Lord Mayor Clover Moore and MP Alex Greenwich to lodge an official complaint with the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) to investigate the police raids.

“I have been inundated by reports from constituents who have been traumatised by the raids. They say that large groups of between 6 and 12 officers with drug detection dogs descended on the precinct, saturating venues and intimidating people.”

“Constituents tell me that in venues the police pushed, shoved and aggressively directed patrons to move, shining bright flashlights in their faces, sometimes laughing and appearing to enjoy themselves. People across venues were subjected to searches in public view, pushed against walls, forced to remove clothing and have their body searched.”

“People report being interrogated for using the bathroom and being treated like a criminal just for being out for the night in Darlinghurst.” (Greenwich, 2026) ²

As a result of NSW Police actions last month, respected advocate and 78er, Garry Wotherspoon, resigned from the NSW Police LGBTQIA+ Consultative Committee.

“There seems little point on being on a Committee aimed at ‘improving relations between police and community’, when, at the same time, police raid venues that are an integral part of our communities.” (Wotherspoon, 2026) ³

A history of police violence

This isn’t the first time trust has been broken between police and the queer community. Last year, human rights advocate, and 78er ⁴, Mark Gillespie told the Minister of Police he would stop volunteering to train new recruits, citing the death in police custody of Collin Burling and the use of violence against peaceful protestors, many of them young queer people. He also highlighted the on–going harms of police-led responses in the LGBTQIA+ community.

“For 78ers like me, these raids are reminiscent of the frequent raids on gay venues that took place in Sydney in the 1970’s and 1980’s at a time when gays were vulnerable and regarded in law as criminals just for being who we were…Bias motivated violence against LGBTIQ+ people by the NSW Police has a long history. As a 78er I know this well…We need health-based, humanistic responses in these situations, not inept military-like police operations that treat some groups in society as not being worthy of protection.” – Mark Gillespie

Advocacy groups representing the LGBTQIA+ community continue to fight for justice and equality. Trans Justice Sydney is a location-specific network of the larger Trans Justice Project, Australia’s first trans-led, national campaigning organisation. In response to the raids, Dr. Rory Gillard shared their concerns about the stark similarities evident in historical and current police interactions.

“The raids on the Oxford Street bars speak to the history and ongoing experience of LGBTQIASB+ communities being targeted by police. This includes raids on venues like the Tasty Nightclub in Melbourne in 1994, police entrapping gay men, and people being targeted by police (via vagrancy and other laws) for not dressing in ‘gender appropriate’ attire.” – Dr. Rory Gillard

In a recent submission to the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, the Alternative First Responders campaign presented research that aligned with the experience of community members and their interactions with police over time, showing that training alone, is not an adequate solution to police culture that encourages intimidation, force, profiling and over-policing of certain communities.

“Systemic issues within NSW police culture produce harms that no amount of training can adequately address; what is needed is a shift towards alternative responses that are properly resourced.” (Alternative First Responders, 2026) ⁵

Alternatives to police-led responses

Alongside elected representatives, LGBTQIA+ advocates and community members, the Alternative First Responder campaign calls on government to invest in alternatives to police that centre harm minimisation and protect the community from aggressive, intimidating and unprofessional policing.

“At a time when we are trying revitalise Oxford Street and support venues and performers, these kinds of operations scare people away and drive them to house parties or unofficial venues where there is no security or staff trained in the responsible service of alcohol. This does nothing for harm minimisation.” ⁶

In contrast, alternatives to police create safety, not criminalisation. Effective alternatives represent the diversity of the communities they serve, they are made up of peers and outreach workers highly trained in harm reduction, de-escalation, trauma-informed and culturally aware care.

“Peer-led approaches to promoting safe dance parties for LGBTQIASB+ communities need to be prioritised over policing. One example of a peer-led approach is the ACON rovers – trained volunteers who provide harm reduction and health promotion services at gender and sexuality diverse events. Another example is NUAA’s Dancewize program, who provide evidence-based health information at festivals and dance events. This includes information about drug interactions and safer drug use.

In addition to peer-led support, we are keen to see government support for drug decriminalisation, drug checking services and abolishing sniffer dogs to better support harm reduction efforts for LGBTQIASB+ communities.” – Dr. Rory Gillard

Anecdotal evidence backed by research consistently demonstrates the positive impact of alternative responses in community. The goal here is to keep people safe and supported and current police-led responses are falling short.

“Community-controlled organisations have the skills to provide a rights-based response. This requires an increased investment into community infrastructure to ensure that they are properly resourced and equipped to respond.” (Alternative First Responders, 2026) ⁷

Sign the national pledge calling for care, not force and visit our Take Action page for more ways you can support the campaign for Alternative First Responders.

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