'
‘Tinderbox’ can catch fire: Minns defends protest ban amid ‘frenetic’ criticism
International

‘Tinderbox’ can catch fire: Minns defends protest ban amid ‘frenetic’ criticism

author
5 minutes, 11 seconds Read

NSW Premier Chris Minns has defended his government’s crackdown on protests, saying there was a “tinderbox” in the community and the new laws were aimed at protecting public safety.
Minns recalled parliament on Monday to quickly implement a series of changes to protest laws Terror attack on Bondi Beach that targeted a Hanukkah festival and killed 15 people.
Under the proposed changes, the authorization of public meetings could be limited after a terrorist incident has been formally announced.

Critics, including the Greens and Palestine Action Group, have labeled the reforms as “draconian” and “freakish anti-protest laws.”

Minns told a media conference on Monday that the government was taking “decisive action” to keep the community safe.
“That is in recognition of the fact that while it may be a tinderbox in the community during the summer period, we cannot allow rampant violence or division in our community to exist without a strong police presence,” he said.
The reforms would also label the chant “globalize the Intifada” as hate speech.
“Its use in everyday language at demonstrations, both here and around the world, is a call for a global intifada. That is what it means,” he said.

“Not in the Middle East, not in Israel or Gaza, but here in Sydney. On our streets… under those circumstances I believe this leads to a culture and environment of greater division and an invitation to violence.”

Minns said organizers of pro-Palestinian rallies were “unleashing forces beyond their control.” Source: MONKEY / Flavio Brancaleone

While the pro-Palestinian organizers of the demonstrations may have “sincere views,” Minns said they were “unleashing forces beyond their control.”

“We must do everything we can to ensure that the words said at a rally are not used later by someone for violent retaliation on the city streets,” he said.
“That means you’re drawing a line in the sand and saying this phrase used in this context could lead to violence.”
Under the reforms, the police commissioner or deputy police commissioner, with the consent of the police minister, could designate certain areas where public gatherings such as protests were restricted.
Once a declaration is made, no public meetings would be allowed to enter that area, including by a court, and police would have access to existing powers to further assist people if their behavior “causes intimidation or intimidation or obstructs traffic”.

These declarations would initially last for fourteen days, but could be extended for up to three months.

Critics label laws as ‘draconian’

Dr. Naama Blatman, an executive member of the Jewish Council of Australia, on Monday called Minns’ proposed reforms “anti-protest laws” and said they would not make the community safer.

“These laws are the result of political pressure and are not a true consideration for the safety of our community,” Blatman said.

Blatman also referred to comments made by the government’s anti-Semitism envoy, Jillian Segal, after the Bondi attack about the March for Humanity that took place on the Harbor Bridge in August, protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“We have to stop the hate, stop the chants,” Segal said.
“Stop waving terrorist flags because it is progressing just as we saw the Opera House, the Harbor Bridge and now Bondi Beach, each a progression and hateful words leading to where we are today.”
Blatman dismissed the link between the Bondi Beach terror attack and the Harbor Bridge protest.

“What happened in Bondi was a vicious anti-Semitic attack, but let us be very clear: there is nothing that links these attacks to the movement for justice in Palestine, to the protests we held, to the marches we shared,” she said.

“Criticism of Israel, however harsh it may be, does not equal anti-Semitism.”
Josh Lees, an organizer with the Palestine Action Group, which has led demonstrations against Israel’s actions in Gaza, including the March for Humanity, spoke alongside Blatman on Monday.
Lees said the proposed reforms were part of a “coordinated campaign waged by some to try to link the horrific Bondi attack with the Palestinian protest movement”.

Lees said the group reiterates its “full opposition to all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism,” but called the reforms “convulsive anti-protest laws.”

NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson added on Monday that the proposed reforms are among the most “draconian, authoritarian anti-protest laws this country has ever seen”.
“I have no doubt that this power that the Prime Minister is asking of the NSW Parliament today and tomorrow is unconstitutional,” she said.

Although symbols of terrorist groups are already banned under federal law, NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said the proposed state laws would be simpler.

Minns defended the proposals, saying he believes anti-Semitism “starts with slogans” and escalates to violence.
“I believe that in many cases when you see violent images and hateful slogans, forces are released that the organizers of the protests cannot control,” Minns said.

“Whatever the reasons for these protests and genuine grievances or concerns about what is happening abroad, my responsibility is in Sydney.”

Victoria follows NSW

Victoria has unveiled a five-point plan to combat anti-Semitism in the state – home to Australia’s largest Jewish population – similar to laws proposed in NSW.
The plan would strengthen hate speech and anti-defamation laws and give police new powers to control protests after terrorist events.
It includes overhauling gun laws, appointing a commissioner to counter violent extremism, and promoting a “return to normalcy” for the Jewish community.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said on Monday: “There is no single law that can change all this. It is as complex a challenge as we have ever faced.”
She added: “This is not a Jewish problem that needs to be solved. This is everyone’s problem.”
Online platforms can be held liable for hate speech, and police can force them to identify users.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson called for a system of protest permits, saying: “The Jewish community has warned that this is the consequence of allowing anti-Semitism to rage on our streets.”
Allan urged urgent action and bipartisan support, promising the plan would make Victoria’s anti-defamation laws “even stronger”.

#Tinderbox #catch #fire #Minns #defends #protest #ban #frenetic #criticism

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *