Bombshell Crackdown on Protests: Fury Erupts as NSW Premier Unleashes Draconian Laws in Wake of Deadly Terror Attack
- New laws grant police commissioner power to block protests for up to three months after a terror incident
- Civil liberties groups slam move as “draconian” and “infringement on right to assembly”
- Indigenous groups fear Invasion Day protests on January 26 could be affected by new powers
In the aftermath of the devastating Bondi massacre, which left 15 innocent people dead, NSW Premier Chris Minns has sparked outrage by ramming through sweeping new laws aimed at curbing public gatherings and hate speech. The controversial package, labelled “dangerous and divisive” by the federal Greens, has been met with fierce resistance from civil liberties groups, who claim it tramples on the right to assembly.
At the heart of the drama is a provision granting the police commissioner the power to block protests for 14 days following a terrorist incident, a declaration that can be extended up to three months. This has raised eyebrows, with critics warning it could be used to stifle peaceful demonstrations. “The declaration will be reviewed and can be extended fortnightly for up to three months,” police said in a statement, sparking fears of a slippery slope.
Indigenous groups are particularly concerned, with Invasion Day protests on January 26 potentially in the firing line. However, Minns has sought to allay these fears, distinguishing between static rallies and marches through the city. He claimed that rhetoric about protesting being banned was overblown, citing the rare occurrence of terrorism designations in the state’s history.
Former Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy has sounded a warning, urging the government to restore goodwill in society following the attack. “If this law were in force now and the Jewish community want to protest themselves for what they saw as, for example, inadequate policing at the Hanukkah event … they wouldn’t be able to,” he cautioned on ABC Radio.
Minns has defended the laws, insisting they are necessary to prevent hate speech from running rampant. He pointed to pro-Palestine protests, which he claimed had bred anti-Semitism that the organisers could not control. However, organisers have vehemently denied this, stating that they are protesting Israel’s war in Gaza and the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“We want to make sure we’re in a position to keep the people of NSW safe and I don’t resile from the fact at all that in these circumstances of heightened tensions, words can lead to actions,” Minns said, as the legal challenge to the laws brews in the High Court.