Update 29 October: The below limits are still in place with an additional 1000 person cap on COVID safe community sports (latest updates here).

Under the latest Public Health Order, protests are limited to 50 people - or 200 if the protest is COVID safe.

Meanwhile, ticketed events of up to 3000 people are permitted.

Our right to protest should not be limited in this way: if it's safe for 3000 people to attend commercial events, larger COVID-safe protests are surely safe too.

Details

At the time of writing, s 2.12 specified that:

(1) The maximum number of persons permitted at the following outdoor events in the general area are—

(a) for a controlled outdoor public gathering—3000 persons,

(b) for a COVID-19 safe outdoor public gathering—200 persons,

(c) for any other outdoor public gathering—50 persons.

Schedule 6 provides this definition:

"controlled outdoor public gathering means an outdoor public gathering, other than a gathering referred to in Schedule 3, in an area —

(a) that is enclosed or bounded by fencing or another form of barrier, and

(b) access to which is controlled by way of a ticket, and

(c) in relation to which all persons, other than persons engaged in work, are assigned to specific seats or to a seating area."

NSWCCL calls for more respect for our democratic right to protest: the same size caps should apply to a COVID-safe protest as to other COVID-safe events.