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The New South Wales government has proposed new laws that will mean police can move on protestors near places of worship with no justification and conduct near places of worship that could be perceived as harassment, including chanting could see us face up to 2 years in prison.
The government has proposed these laws in the wake of violent attacks on places of worship - but instead of offering a targeted response to address racist violence, the laws attack peaceful protest and democratic participation. People going in or out of a place of worship or who are worshipping inside should be able to do so safely, free of harassment, intimidation and violence. Existing legislation already covers instances of violence, harassment or intimidation in the vicinity of religious institutions.
Laws restricting protest outside of religious institutions could cause more community division by limiting ways to voice concerns over political and social issues that religious institutions are involved in, or by preventing members of a congregation from speaking out about their own community. Religious institutions exercise significant and overt political power in Australian politics and this makes them a legitimate site of protest in a democratic society.
What’s more, a government review of hate speech laws last year recommended that police better use existing legislation to address instances of vilification, rather than introducing new offences.
Instead of listening to its own review, the government has proposed to make it an offence to stop people in or near a place of worship from intentionally blocking access to the place of worship without reasonable excuse or from harassing, intimidating or threatening people accessing places of worship, and provide police with associated move on powers. This new offence is proposed to contain a maximum penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment.
What we need is targeted reform to address racist violence, including measures to prevent far-right extremism and a bolstering of community-based multiculturalism initiatives. Leaders from twelve faith communities have already expressed concern about the proposed laws and their impact on protests in places like Sydney Town Hall, the Supreme Court and regional town centres.
Join NSWCCL, faith, legal, human rights and community groups on Monday 17 February at 6pm to protest these inappropriate and authoritarian restrictions on the right to protest.
Please also email your MP to stand up for our democratic rights. You can do that here: https://australiandemocracy.org.au/nsw-protest-laws