Pro-Palestinian Harbour Bridge protest case to face Supreme Court at midday
Premier Chris Minns, who has blamed demonstrators for draining police resources for nearly two years in their facilitation of weekly protests in the city's centre, said he "cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos".
NSW has a permit system that allows protest participants to block public roads and infrastructure, but police can go to court to deny permission. But in an open letter, lawyers have again questioned NSW's protest laws and argued they run contrary to Australia's civil rights obligations under an international treaty. "As a party to the core United Nations human rights treaties, Australia has recognised that freedom of assembly is a fundamental human right and, in consequence, NSW must protect it," Australian Lawyers for Human Rights vice president Kerry Weste said. "The right of peaceful assembly extends to all gatherings for peaceful purposes, wherever they take place. and regardless of whether they occur in the form of demonstrations, protests, meetings, processions, rallies, sit-ins, candle-lit vigils or even flash mobs."
The bridge has previously been shut including for a reconciliation rally in 2000 which attracted more than 250,000 people, a World Pride event with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's participation and a Hollywood film production.
The number of Palestinians killed during Israel's post-October-7 assault on the enclave is more than 60,000, according to local health authorities. Since the war began, the Gaza health ministry has recorded 156 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 90 children. Dozens have also been killed by Israeli fire across the enclave in the last 24 hours, including 12 people among crowds who had gathered to receive aid, Gaza health authorities said. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots to disperse crowds, and had not identified any casualties. Confronted by rising international outrage over images of starving children, Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine. SBS News reported this week that Israel's Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon and deputy chief of mission Amir Meron were called in for a meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
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