Hearing Block 7, Sydney
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion held Hearing Block 7 in Sydney on Tuesday 4 August 2026 related to protests and policing.
Scope
Hearing Block 7 had a particular focus on events at the Sydney Opera House on 9 October 2023 and NSW Parliament House on 8 November 2025 and was examined through that lens:
- the democratic function played by protests in general
- hateful conduct that sometimes occurs in the context of protest activity
- how police respond to protests.
Applications for leave to appear
The Royal Commission invited persons who considered they had a direct and substantial interest in the scope of this hearing block to make an application for leave to appear by no later than 4:00pm (AEST) on Friday 24 July 2026.
An application for leave to appear was not how witnesses were selected. For more information, please refer to Witnesses at Royal Commission.