A review into the handling of recurring pro-Palestine protests in NSW has been ordered by Premier Chris Minns, as he has stated concern over the cost of policing the weekly marches, which have taken place every Sunday in Sydney for over a year.
Minns argued that the large police presence required for these protests has become an unsustainable drain on resources, diverting attention away from serious crime.
The proposed crackdown, which would allow police to deny march requests due to stretched resources, has sparked criticism, with opponents calling it undemocratic and dangerous. The premier’s suggestion comes amid ongoing rallies in multiple states, where similar concerns about resource allocation have arisen.
The premier's proposal was scary, NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Lydia Shelly said.
“The right to peaceful assembly and protest is the cornerstone of a democratic society, and any legislative changes that would effectively single out protest as a financial burden completely flies in the face of government obligations towards human rights,” she told AAP.
“Facilitating peaceful protests is just part and parcel of our democratic responsibility, so citing costs as a reason to curtail process protests, that's a really, really dangerous precedent.”
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