As I told press right after the incident:

This was the first time in my life that I participated in a protest. As a journalist I’ve been to protests so many times - to watch and record how others participate. I’m turning 30 this year. Today I thought I’d join my friends and exercise my right to protest for the first time. I was anticipating clashes with pro-China individuals, but not the Australian police.

We did not provoke the Australian police. The protest on the anti-CCP side was entirely peaceful. When my friend @chen_yonglin was told that he was not allowed to burn the Chinese communist party flag he was prepared to follow this advice. Yet the police insisted on confiscating his flag (which they did not have a right to) and when my friend refused, the police tried to take the flag by force.

I asked the police then “why are you brutalizing my friend? What did he do to warrant this action?” I was then surrounded myself. I asked one officer “why are you putting your hands on me?” I requested that he stop touching me, this apparently angered the police and led to more officers laying hands on me. I was shoved around and thrown down.

So ironically the first time I ever participated in a protest, in my new home country that is Australia, I was assaulted by the Australian police. Interesting times we find ourselves in 🧐