NSW Police Commissioner Extends Restrictions On Protests

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has extended the restrictions on protests for another 14 days this afternoon, giving police continued powers to quash unauthorised public assemblies across Sydney.

Passing with bipartisan support in the early hours of December 24, Chris Minns’ Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill was created in response to the Bondi terror attack at a Hanukkah festival that left 15 dead. It included the establishment of stricter gun laws, the banning of  terrorist symbols and other hate signs or slogans, and restrictions on the authorisations of protests across a specified area for 14 days and up to three months following the declaration of a terrorist incident.

Form 1s, applications that protect protesters from prosecution for offences such as obstructing traffic, have been denied throughout the period, with police given extended powers to move people on.

With the passing of the bill on Christmas Eve, Lanyon enacted a ban on protest applications was within hours across Sydney’s South West Metropolitan, North West Metropolitan and Central Metropolitan areas, with Lanyon saying at the time that any protest action would “aggravate fear and divisiveness in the community”.

“This is a time for community to come together and to show respect and courtesy. It’s not a time for large public assemblies and division,” he said.

Today’s announcement sees these restrictions extended for another fortnight, with Lanyon reviewing the matter again upon its conclusion.

“This is not about stopping free speech,” he said. “I ask people to show respect and for people to share courtesy. But most of all, I ask that people remain peaceful.

“I think the community, quite rightly, over a period of time, has felt fear and have been concerned, particularly about some of the very public displays in their public assemblies.

“These declarations about saying now is the time for calm.”

Civil rights groups argue restrictions are undemocratic

Sydney-based civil rights groups, Palestine Action Group, Jews Against Occupation ‘48 and the Blak Caucus last month announced their intention to formally challenge the legislation in court, arguing that premier Chris Minns is unfairly conflating the attack with the pro-Palestinian movement.

“By hiding behind ‘Jewish safety’, you are not only scapegoating millions of Australians protesting genocide, but using Jewish people as your human shields,” said Jews Against Occupation organiser, Michelle Berkon. “We will bear the resentment of the community; you are endangering us, shame on you.”

President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Timothy Roberts, condemned the restriction on protest authorisations, saying that limiting the use of free speech and assembly in response to a terrorist attack was reckless.

“Connecting the horrific events of the Bondi attack in any way with recent  protests continues the harmful trend of conflating criticism of the actions of the Government of Israel with antisemitism,” he said. This undermines the community harmony that the Premier says that he is worried about.

“In attempting to restrict protest this way the Premier is further dividing a community that is already trying to heal in an environment worryingly filled with misinformation and hateful rhetoric. We cannot have a ‘summer of calm’ and ‘togetherness’ with a government eroding our democratic freedoms”.