Breaking: NSW Police Enforce New Restrictions on Sydney Protests

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NSW Police commissoner Mal Lanyon has restricted protests in Sydney under new laws passed by state parliament in response to the Bondi terror attack.

Lanyon announced the decision just before midnight on Christmas Eve, with restrictions to apply for 14 days in the south-west, north-west and central metropolitan policing areas.

The declaration can be extended for up to three months.

It means public assemblies can not be authorised and applications for authorisation will not be accepted.

“Any public assembly will thereby be taken to be unauthorised, and participants will not have the protection of the Summary Offences Act with respect to obstructing traffic and pedestrians and may commit offences if they do,” police said in a statement.

“While gatherings are allowed, authorities can direct individuals to disperse if they are causing disruptions, acting in an intimidating or harassing way, or if their actions could potentially frighten others,” officials stated.

Police also have the authority to order the removal of face coverings worn by people suspected of committing offences for identification purposes.

Lanyon said police were committed to exercising the new powers “responsibly and transparently”.

“This is a time for community to come together and to show respect and courtesy — it’s not a time for large public assemblies and division. The community deserves to be safe and feel safe,” he said.

“Following the recent incident at Bondi, any further demonstrations could heighten tension and division within the community. It’s crucial that we focus on fostering safety and reassurance during this period,” they added.

Premier Chris Minns said he backed the police commissioner’s decision “100 per cent” because the government could not allow a situation where “mass protests rip apart our social cohesion”.

“I know that they’re extraordinary powers,” he told reporters at a Christmas lunch event on Thursday.

“We see these measures as vital for maintaining order and peace throughout the Christmas season and the upcoming summer months,” the statement emphasized.

“These regulations will strip away the rights of everyone in New South Wales to assemble as a community and voice their opinions,” Lees argued.

The omnibus legislation was rushed through during a two-day emergency session and cleared the Legislative Council shortly before 3am on Wednesday.

The protest provisions have drawn fierce criticism from civil liberties groups and protest organisers, who argue the laws undermine democratic rights and the implied constitutional freedom of political communication.

Josh Lees, an organiser with the Palestine Action Group, said the measures threaten the ability of communities to assemble and speak out on urgent issues, including Indigenous deaths in custody and the annual Invasion Day march on 26 January.

“These laws will take away the rights of everyone in NSW to gather together as a community to express their views,” Lees said.

The NSW-ACT Aboriginal Legal Service also expressed concerns that the laws “could limit legitimate and peaceful protests on Survival Day”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns responded by saying such assemblies “can take place”, indicating a distinction would be drawn between static rallies and marches through the city.

He said rhetoric about protesting being banned was overblown.

“The rules and the laws are only in place under very strict conditions and that is for a terrorism designation … we’ve had very few terrorism designations over the last few years,” he said.

“Right now … it’s the worst terrorism event in this state’s history.”

— With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press.