Over 400 people gathered at Sydney Town Hall on Friday 16 January to rally against Chris Minns’ anti-protest laws and genocidal Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s planned visit to Australia.
It was the first Palestine solidarity protest since NSW Premier Chris Minns introduced his draconian restrictions on protest on Christmas eve and was co-hosted by Stop the War on Palestine and Jews Against the Occupation 48.
Town Hall was packed with banners representing different Palestine solidarity groups from Readers and Writers against genocide, to Teachers for Palestine, Nurses and Midwives against genocide, Labor Friends of Palestine and The Greens.
Jepke Goudsmit from Jews Against the Occupation 48 told the crowd: “Our rallies are and have always been peaceful, anti-racist and reflective of our multicultural society.
“There is absolutely no link between the free Palestine movement and the Bondi massacre—let it be said again”.
Placards sent a message in defiance of Minns’ crackdown and opposing Israel’s genocide. One read “From Warsaw to Gaza, Long live the intifada” taking aim at Chris Minns’ racist plan to ban the phrase “Globalise the Intifada”. Others read “Sanction Israel, not slogans” and “Hey Albo, why is ‘advocating genocide’ exempt from your new hate speech laws”.
There were a number of “Globalise the Intifada” shirts and signs, despite a woman being arrested at a previous rally about Venezuela for wearing a jacket with the slogan. She was later released without charge. Clearly the intimidation didn’t work, and this time the police took no action against those displaying the slogan.
The draconian new laws give the police commissioner the power to ban street marches completely in the wake of a declared terrorism incident.
The same laws also give police the power to issue “move on” directions to protests. “Move on powers” involve wide police discretion and can be issued if police deem protesters are blocking traffic including pedestrians or behaving in a way that would inspire fear in a person of “reasonable firmness”. The Police Commissioner can extend the protest ban for up to three months.
In a sign of growing defiance, on 19 January a 100-strong meeting of community organisations and activists in Sydney voted to defy the laws, march and risk arrest on Invasion Day. And to rally and march to oppose any visit by Israeli president, Isaac Herzog.
By Adam Adelpour
