Hannah Thomas, a candidate who stood against the Prime Minister in the recent federal election, was seriously injured on Friday, reportedly at the hands of NSW Police. The NSWCCL understands that NSW Police used the Premier’s new move along powers in disrupting what was otherwise a peaceful protest.

Public assemblies have been protected under the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (‘LEPRA’), whether they are “authorised” through the Form 1 process or not. The Minns Labor Government passed draconian laws that lowered the threshold for NSW Police to issue move on orders, by amending Section 200 of LEPRA which speaks to the operation of these powers in s 197.

It has been reported that the fact sheet of an arrestee at the protest includes reference to a ‘place of worship’. NSWCCL has warned of the potential misuse of these laws since they were first announced.

Comments attributable to Timothy Roberts, President NSWCCL 

“We must always be critical when people are injured at the hands of the police. In this case, we should be alarmed at the excessive use of force. NSWCCL joins calls for an independent investigation into the police’s conduct.

“We have all just witnessed a situation where someone has been severely injured for expressing a political opinion. 

“In our democracy we have a right to assemble. We have the right to communicate political ideas. The Minns have damaged our democracy by undermining these rights.

“The Minns Government faced ample criticism that these laws not only empowered NSW Police improperly, but that they gave NSW Police the discretion about when they can use their powers.  The Police should never have been put in this position. 

“It was always a risk that these laws could be used by the police to suppress public assembly. That has proven true. Not only have they broken up a peaceful protest,  in the first apparent use of these powers at this protest, someone was reportedly seriously injured at their hands.

”The anti-protest laws must be repealed and the Minn’s Government should be condemned for any part they have played in this by ramping up their hateful rhetoric toward protesters, and emboldening NSW Police to act as reported.

“These are terrifying times. Authoritarianism does not just appear in one day. It arrives through a series of repressive legislative changes limiting the scope of acceptable dissent, the arrest of innocent protesters and continued empowering of the police. We can see with the evidence of our own eyes, this is not restricted to something happening in distant lands, it is happening right here and right now in NSW and must be stopped.

“We have only one choice, either to repeal the draconian anti-protest laws, for a vibrant democracy, where civil liberties are protected or not.  To do nothing will only lead to more reports of police brutality, arrests and violence of those who do not agree with government positions.