Last week the NSW Labor Government announced a number of new laws that will repress people’s right to protest. Including, a new criminal offence to prevent protest in or near a place of worship where those people blocking access to a religious institution could face up to two years in jail. The government has said police will be given increased power to move protestors on and arrest them. 

It is unclear what further powers the police will be granted as the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 already gives NSW Police officers extraordinary powers to move people on including for obstructing another person or traffic; harassing or intimidating another person or persons; or causing or likely causing fear to another person.  

The measures risk impacting a wide cross-section of our community, including survivors of church sexual abuse, students, teachers, healthcare workers, anti-war protestors, LGBTIQA+ people and their allies and First Nations people or any NSW resident who directly or indirectly obstructs access to a place of worship in order to campaign for their rights. 

These laws seek to protect religious institutions, who exercise large amounts of political power in Australia and the world, at the expense of individual democratic freedoms. This unfairly shields them from public opposition.  

Quotes attributable to Timothy Roberts President NSWCCL 

“The racist attacks in our community are distressing but the Minns Labor Government should be ashamed that it is attempting to utilise this violence to criminalise political opposition and silence freedom of speech in NSW.

“Religious institutions exercise significant and overt political power in Australian politics and this makes them a legitimate site of protest in a democratic society.

“Laws restricting protest outside of religious institutions could cause more community division by limiting avenues to voice concerns over political and social issues that religious institutions are involved in.”

“Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is essential in a democratic society, but so is freedom of expression and a right to protest. The Minns Government's proposals are oppressive and do not strike any appropriate balance.

Quotes attributable to Leonie Sheedy CEO and cofounder Care Leavers Australasia Network

“If protest outside of religious institutions is banned it will seriously hurt care leavers and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse to gain access to justice.

“For people who grew up in Orphanages, Children’s Homes, Missions, Foster Care and other Child Welfare institutions protesting outside of religious institutions that abused them as children can be our last place to try and get some justice.”

“It was a protest in the 1970s that ended virginity testing in NSW on state wards. We can never forget the power of these women and men who protested to stand up to injustice and sexual violence on children.  

“We recently held a protest out the front of St Mary's Cathedral in protest of Red Mass because victims of Catholic abuse question the impartiality of the legal system to respond to this abuse.  We need to have separation of church and state and the NSW Government is blurring this line even further with these new laws. That's the real danger, not us protesting. 

“Some people protesting outside of cathedrals with us have exhausted every avenue of seeking justice, we have people in their 80s protesting for the first time in their lives. It's shameful that the NSW Government would see them sent to jail for this.

Quotes attributable to Donald McLeish spokesperson for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

“Imagine trying to fight for justice against your abuser and on the other side is the Catholic church. This huge power imbalance needs to be supported by public pressure, and that needs protest. 

“An essential role of SNAP is exposing predators who threaten children and adults at risk and, to expose those who shield predators. This is generally achieved through quiet and peaceful protests including ribbon tying outside places of worship. It looks like this wouldn’t be able to occur under the new NSW laws because it could be seen as intimidation or harassment which certainly is not.

“Apparently we can add this NSW Government to the list of people who protect abusers.”