SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — The streets of Sydney were transformed into a “rolling melee of violence” this weekend as tensions between protesters and law enforcement reached a breaking point.

Newly released videos showing police using forceful tactics to subdue demonstrators have sparked an outcry, but the New South Wales Police Force is hitting back, claiming the footage is being “selectively edited” to hide the aggression of the crowds.

Police officials stated that officers were forced to defend themselves against a “violent minority” that had infiltrated an otherwise peaceful protest. The images of officers pinning individuals to the ground have become the center of a national debate on the limits of peaceful assembly and the appropriate use of force.

As the government calls for an independent review of the “shock videos,” the rift between the public and the police continues to widen, with both sides claiming to be the victims of unprovoked aggression.