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March 5th, 2013 
David Schulberg the 3rd
NSW police will investigate a video that appears to show an officer throwing a handcuffed Mardi Gras reveller to the ground and standing on his back.
The four-minute video was purportedly recorded after the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, and was posted on YouTube on Monday.
Scroll down to watch the video in full (language warning)
It appears to show a young man with a head wound, apparently being taken into custody by several police officers.
The unknown man is seen crying and repeating that he “didn’t do anything wrong”.
A officer is then seen to throw the man, who has his hands cuffed behind his back, to the ground before standing with one foot on his back for at least 20 seconds.
This still image from a YouTube video purportedly shows a policeman throwing a young man to the ground during the Sydney Mardi Gras.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said there would be an investigation.
“The NSW Police force is aware of the vision and an investigation will be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” she said.
The video does not capture the initial encounter between the young man and officers, but a woman interviewed in the blurry film says: “This (officer) here grabbed his throat and smashed his skull on the pavement.”
Another woman is heard to say: “They just slammed his head. There’s blood all over the ground.”
Mardi Gras organisers said they had viewed the video late on Tuesday.
This still image from a YouTube video purportedly shows a policeman standing on a man to the ground during the Sydney Mardi Gras Picture: via YouTube
“This incident is quite distressing and our thoughts are with the individual, his family, friends and those that witnessed this,” they said in a statement issued early on Wednesday.
State MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, will seek to meet Police Minister Mike Gallacher on Wednesday.
“There were thousands of police out working on Mardi Gras night and many of them did a great job, but this one incident was concerning,” he said.
The video came without any context, Mr Greenwich said, but at first viewing it was “extremely distressing”.
Mr Greenwich said he was aware of at least one other incident involving allegations of undue force from police at the weekend event.
This still image from a YouTube video purportedly shows a policeman grabbing the throat during the Sydney Mardi Gras Picture: via YouTube
Prominent gay rights activist Bryn Hutchinson claimed he was thrown to the ground after he ignored police instructions not to cross a road.
The gay sister of federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Christine Forster, said she could “barely watch” the video.
“Terrible to see such an incident when Mardi Gras is such a celebration of community,” the local politician tweeted, under the hashtag #MardiGrasBrutality.
Ten thousand members and supporters of the gay community took part in the parade on Saturday night with thousands more flocking to the Oxford Street precinct to watch.
About 1000 extra officers patrolled the event.
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