NSW Premier Chris Minns addresses court battle over mass Sydney pro-Palestine march
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West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Nationwide protests planned after pro-Palestine Harbour Bridge march
Protest laws could be repealed or expanded following a march across an iconic national landmark, as activists plan for more demonstrations. The pro-Palestine movement, boosted by a march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge which made news across the nation and around the world, hopes to build on its momentum. The march across the bridge and back in pouring rain came after opposition from police, and a court's overruling approval that has politicians worrying about the rare occurrence becoming common. Further protests are planned on August 24 in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth with hopes more can be organised in other cities. Ahead of the state's parliament resuming on Tuesday, NSW Premier Chris Minns says his Government is examining whether a legal precedent has been set by the Supreme Court judgment that allowed the protest to proceed. 'No one should believe it's open season on the bridge,' he told reporters on Monday. But new laws might be needed to stop future bridge protests. Mr Minns was 'not ruling anything out' but said any legislation could not be rushed. Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley encouraged the premier to look at 'what might happen next'. 'Because we can't continue to have these protests that shut down such an important area of a major city,' she told reporters. In her determination declining to prohibit the march, Justice Belinda Rigg said the bridge would have been closed to traffic regardless of whether the protest was authorised or not. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said demonstrations were an important part of democracy and highlighted the peaceful nature of the Sydney march. 'Australians want people to stop killing each other, they want peace and security ... they don't want conflict brought here,' he said. Mr Minns has faced some internal dissent from other Labor MPs over protest legislation. NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson has also flagged plans to seek the repeal of laws limiting protest, first introduced by the previous coalition government but expanded under Labor. Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees, defendant of the court action NSW Police took in an unsuccessful attempt to have the demonstration ruled unlawful, says nationwide protests are being planned for August 24. 'We want to build on this massive momentum we have now,' he told reporters. Despite concerns of regular marches across the bridge, Mr Lees said the group has no plans for a repeat crossing any time soon and accused the premier of having an anti-protest agenda. 'His stance is pretty clear and he's passed a raft of anti-protest legislation already,' Mr Lees said. 'We're going to have to keep fighting for our rights to demonstrate.'
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Why banning future bridge protests could be risky for NSW Premier Chris Minns
When a judge authorised Sunday's massive pro-Palestinian demonstration on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the premier may have breathed a partial sigh of relief. Publicly, he says he doesn't regret his vocal opposition to the protest, declaring that it's not "open season" for demonstrations on the bridge. However, having seen the enormous crowds that marched on Sunday, he must have quietly contemplated the alternative scenario. Had the Supreme Court sided with police it's likely that a significant number of protesters would have marched anyway. The premier himself has acknowledged a "huge groundswell" of concern about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and protest organisers believe many participants would have been undeterred. That could have led to ugly scenes, with the potential for mass arrests or injuries to both protesters and police. And with a crowd that big, police may have still been forced to close the bridge on public safety grounds. That would have undermined their authority — and that of the government. So, the court's authorisation has saved the government that particular headache. However, in doing so, it may have created an even bigger dilemma for Chris Minns. The premier is concerned the court may have set a precedent, making it even more difficult to oppose future protests on the bridge. The road he chooses in response is littered with potholes. While the Palestine Action Group has promised another major protest on August 24, spokesperson Josh Lees says there are no plans to demonstrate on the harbour bridge any time soon. Without another protest application being tested in court, it remains unclear whether Saturday's ruling will pave the way for a future demonstration. However, to remove all doubt, the opposition is calling on the government to consider legislation to stop the bridge being used for a future protest. While the premier says he has no desire to rush legislation, he's not ruling it out either. It's a risky strategy. Legislation would almost certainly face a legal challenge. It could also be ignored by defiant protesters, putting them on a collision course with police, who have a tough enough job as it is. Such a move could also cause major disquiet amongst Labor MPs, some of whom are already angry about existing laws restricting protests. When the premier faces caucus on Tuesday morning, he'll do so knowing several of his colleagues marched on Sunday. Two of his ministers, Penny Sharpe and Jihad Dib joined the protest. MPs Julia Finn, Lynda Voltz, Cameron Murphy, Stephen Lawrence, Bob Nanva and Anthony D'Adam were amongst those marching too. Last year, the premier warned his MPs who spoke out on Gaza to either focus on state issues or "run for federal parliament". He's unlikely to be as dismissive when caucus meets today. Mr Minns sensed the community's horror in the wake of Hamas' terrorist attacks on October 7. But having seen the enormity of Sunday's protest, he says he also understands the depth of concern surrounding the humanitarian situation in Gaza. While he says he's "repeatedly" expressed those concerns, his language on Monday was noticeably stronger. While he said he was "terrified and appalled" by Hamas, he spoke of the "IDF's [Israel Defense Forces] action in bombing hospitals," describing it as a "massive concern as a human being." While Israel has repeatedly argued that Hamas operates beneath hospitals, the images of civilian casualties are difficult to ignore. He also said that stopping aid from entering Gaza had been "disastrous" for civilians there. Israel's government has criticised the weekend's protest. The country's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar posted a photo of a demonstrator who appeared to be holding a photo of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who has called for Israel's destruction. However, the premier said most protesters went with the "right intentions". Until now, the premier has shown a distinct lack of patience with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, particularly when they create cost and inconvenience. Sunday's scenes suggest that any further attempts to block them could backfire, both in caucus and on the streets.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
New show 'Freya Fires Up' featuring Freya Leach launches August 17 on Sky News
A brand new show is set to launch on Sky News in less than two weeks featuring The Late Debate host Freya Leach. 'Freya Fires Up' will premiere at 6pm on August 17 and will tackle controversial topics with no holds barred. "This is where you'll get heated debate from all sides," Leach said. Tune in every Sunday evening for robust and even "confrontational" takes on the issues which really matter. "And that's just the start of it," Leach adds. 'Freya Fires Up' will also be available to steam live on the website and via the Sky News Australia app.
