NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon announced his decision on Tuesday evening, claiming public meetings at the time had the potential to “cause anxiety and public safety issues”.
“This isn’t about stopping free speech, it’s about making sure the community has time to feel safe,” he told reporters in Sydney.
“I ask people to show respect, I ask people to show courtesy, but most of all I ask that people remain peaceful.”
Bills flowing through the NSW Parliament in the wake of a deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach gave the commissioner the ability to ban protests in key urban areas after a declared terrorist incident.
Lanyon deployed his powers almost immediately after they were granted, limiting protests for two weeks from Christmas Eve.
The declaration restricts public meetings in Sydney’s south-west, north-west and central urban areas and can be extended fortnightly for up to three months.
All public gatherings since the declaration was imposed have been without permission, leaving participants vulnerable to arrest for obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
While some demonstrations have taken place despite the ban — including a march condemning U.S. attacks on Venezuela — civil liberties groups and activists warn its extension will deter people from seeking official permission to protest.
“For all its faults, the [authorisation] This process gives the community reassurance that they will be treated fairly by police,” Timothy Roberts, president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, told the Australian Associated Press.
“Not being able to do that raises immediate concerns about how the police will respond.
“That is an oppression of our rights, when the community should be able to do that freely.”
It is expected that the powers will be challenged in the High Court.
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