about "religious freedom, parental rights, school education and protecting [non-government] schools from Alphabet Activism and lawfare".
12 In the days leading up to that event, approximately 15 LGBTQIA+ protesters told the NSW Police of their intention to engage in a peaceful protest outside the church, while Mr Latham attended and spoke inside it.
13 What then, in fact, occurred outside the church, is not an issue in this case. But the media reporting and commentary about what happened is a crucial part of the background and surrounding context of the allegations made by Mr Greenwich in this proceeding, so it is necessary to set it out in a little detail.
14 Counsel for Mr Greenwich tendered an audiovisual recording and a transcript of a Seven News broadcast aired on 22 March 2023 regarding the events at the church.
15 At the beginning of the broadcast, Seven News reporter Chris Reason's voice is heard over film footage taken the night before outside of the church, stating: In the lead up to Easter, at a suburban Catholic church, emotions explode. Up to 300 men, many from a group called Christian Lives Matter, descending after word spread of 15 gay rights protesters assembled nearby St Michael's Belfield.
16 Footage was then shown of Superintendent Sheridan Waldau from the Campsie Police Station addressing the media. The relevant parts of the transcript of her address are as follows:
Police: At 7pm last night, a violent confrontation occurred within Margaret Street at Belfield where a number of people were gathered for an event at a church. A group of protestors, about 10 people, were within the vicinity of Margaret Street, further along the street from where the church was, when a mob of about 250 people from the event rushed down the street. Police were present on the scene and were able to stand between the protestors and the mob of people. A number of projectiles were thrown at the police and at the members of the public but luckily nobody was seriously hurt as a result of that. With further police resources requested PAWS and OSG crews were also on scene and we were able to push the mob back. We were able to push the protesters into a police vehicle and remove them safely from the scene of the incident. It took about 30 minutes to get the incident under control and the group of people pushed back along Margaret Street and into the church grounds where an event was occurring. This was a very violent confrontation that occurred at an event which was supposed to be a peaceful protest was supposed to be occurring at. This incident will not be tolerated. This type of violence is not to be tolerated by New South Wales Police and we have commenced an investigation into the incident. So far there has been two persons charged as a result of the incident and we are reviewing numerous amounts of footage. We expect further charges to be laid today against a number of other
