The Greens: Greens rally against Minns on protest as community stand united
The Greens, along with representatives from a large variety of Human Rights and Political groups including the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, the Maritime Union of Australia, Rising Tide, Extinction Rebellion, Palestine Action Group, First Mardi Gras Inc, Students for Palestine at Sydney Uni, and the North East Forest Alliance, held a press conference to condemn the recent crackdown on the right to protest.
They called on the Premier to reverse the anti-democratic laws that infringe on this fundamental right.
Read moreAAPNews: Rights concern as premier flags end to endless protests
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.
Read moreThe Guardian: NSW premier says police should be able to ban pro-Palestine protests because they are too expensive
NSW premier, Chris Minns, recently said that policing pro-Palestine protests has cost the state $5m this year and the force should be able to shut them down because of the “huge drain on the public purse”. From this Minns has ordered a review of police resources used at the pro-Palestine protests taking place in the CBD each weekend for the past year.
Critics have responded to his statement, saying that the premier was continuing to “disregard human rights and civil liberties”.
Read moreThe Guardian: Protesters wouldn’t have to fight for police permission if NSW had less ‘undemocratic’ system, expert says
Protest organisers in NSW would be less likely to face legal battles for permission to hold protest if the state adopted a human rights charter, according to a legal expert.
On Thursday, Sydney’s pro-Palestine rally organisers were in the supreme court, contesting a police attempt to block their Sunday protest and another event planned for Monday. The police eventually approved Sunday’s protest after a last-minute route change. The organisers of the Monday event chose to cancel their application for Monday’s protest, choosing instead to hold a vigil, which doesn't require approval.
This standoff reignited calls for the NSW government to replace the current approval process with a human rights act.
Premier Chris Minns previously supported police, arguing that neither event should proceed due to concerns over potential violence.
Read moreMedia Statement: Flower pots are not a threat to public safety
Today was an important moment in the history of the right to protest in New South Wales.
For nearly a year, peaceful protests and vigils have occurred across our country calling for the immediate end of violence in Palestine which has seen Hospitals and Schools bombed, the taking of hostages, the mass displacement of civilian populations, forced starvation and the deaths of over 40 000 innocent civilians – the vast majority of whom have been children.
The protests in Sydney have been largely organised by Jews Against the Occupation and Palestinian Action Group. This afternoon, after a day in court, the groups announced that a rally on 6 October and a standing vigil on 7 October will proceed.
Read moreSydney Criminal Lawyers: NSW Government’s Drug Diversion Scheme is an Abject Failure
The Early Drug Diversion Initiative (EDDI), introduced by the Minns government earlier this year, has largely been seen as a failure. Despite years of public advocacy for drug decriminalisation, the scheme has only managed to divert a small percentage of individuals caught with minor drug offences.
Under the initiative, NSW police officers were given the discretion to issue a $400 on-the-spot fine to those caught with small amounts of prohibited drugs, or to offer them an alternative — a one-hour phone counselling session with the Alcohol and Drug Information Service.
Read moreNine: Is it OK for parents to track their kids?
Concerns around privacy are increasingly important for parents as they navigate the challenges of raising children in a digital world. While ensuring their children's safety remains a top priority, both online and offline, the rise of technology has introduced new dilemmas, particularly regarding the use of tools that track a child's movements.
Though technology and social media have made parenting more difficult in many ways, they have also offered solutions, such as GPS trackers, which allow parents to monitor their children's whereabouts. This has sparked ongoing debate about privacy and whether such monitoring is an overreach into a child's personal autonomy.
Read moreHoni Soit: Sydney University Law School pen open letter “seriously concerned” about Campus Access Policy
The University of Sydney Law School has published an open letter expressing serious concerns about the new Campus Access Policy 2024, which was introduced earlier this year as a replacement for the Campus Access Rule 2009.
The letter, signed by 54 academics to date, is addressed to Chancellor David Thodey, Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott, and the Academic Board. It highlights deep reservations about the policy's introduction process, its substance, the broader message it conveys, and the limited timeframe for its review.
The University formally rescinded the previous Campus Access Rule in July and replaced it with the 2024 version, a move that has sparked protests from student activists and drawn considerable criticism from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties.
Read moreThe Guardian: Serco must be punished for ‘oppressive’ treatment of prisoners at Australia’s largest jail, legal experts say
Legal experts are calling for sanctions against private prison operator Serco after the company punished nearly 200 inmates at Clarence correctional centre in New South Wales in an “unreasonable and oppressive” manner. The incident followed the assault of a guard by a single inmate on 21 September 2023. Serco responded by locking down 175 prisoners in one section of the jail for five days, despite most having no involvement in the incident.
The NSW ombudsman deemed Serco's actions unlawful and disproportionate.
In addition to the lockdown, Serco charged 34 inmates with offences related to the assault, although the ombudsman found insufficient evidence to justify these charges. Three inmates were placed in segregation for allegedly inciting a riot, despite CCTV footage showing no such activity. Additionally, 33 inmates were placed on restrictive "behaviour management contracts," confining them to their cells for up to 22 hours a day for as long as eight weeks. The ombudsman noted that Serco failed to provide adequate support for one inmate with a cognitive impairment during its investigations.
Read moreMedia Statement: City of Sydney Accused of Unjust Removal of ‘We Vote for Palestine’ Election Posters
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL) has written to the City of Sydney to express our concern over the reported removal of election materials authorised by the "We Vote for Palestine" group across the City of Sydney in the lead-up to the local government election scheduled for 14 September 2024.
It has come to our attention that City of Sydney staff and contractors have been actively removing posters and election materials associated with the “We Vote for Palestine” campaign. The materials in question have been confirmed as appropriately authorised under NSW electoral laws, with the organisers having obtained confirmation from the NSW Electoral Commission regarding the lawful authorisation of their materials.
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