A Court Challenge Over March Against Israeli President's Visit to be Decided at Monday Morning Hearing
The New South Wales government's decision to invoke "major event" powers during the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog is facing a court challenge. The Palestine Action Group, which plans to march from Sydney town hall to state parliament on Monday night, has sought to have its challenge heard before the special powers came into effect.
At an urgent hearing on Sunday evening, Justice Natalie Adams ruled that the group's challenge would be heard by Justice Robertson Wright at 10am on Monday. The court decision will determine whether the government's use of special powers is disproportionate and vague, as claimed by the Palestine Action Group.
The group's barrister, Mark Robinson SC, argued that Herzog's visit was not an appropriate event under the legislation, and that the invocation of major event powers was a breach of the public assembly restriction declaration. He submitted that the challenge be heard before midnight on Sunday to prevent police from constructing barricades preventing people from gathering at the town hall.
The NSW government has been granted leave to apply for a hearing later in the morning. The group plans to march despite a ban on protests under form 1, which would have authorized the authorisation of protests under that system but excludes Hyde Park.
Police are urging the group to relocate to Hyde Park and march to Belmore Park instead, saying it would "safely facilitate a peaceful protest on the streets of Sydney". The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has also urged respect and calm as the community prepares for Herzog's visit, which he described as a moment of profound significance.
The court challenge is just one of two ongoing legal challenges against the New South Wales government's anti-protest laws. A separate challenge by the group against the laws passed after the Bondi attack is also pending.
Police have stated that over 3,000 officers will be deployed across Sydney during Herzog's visit, with a significant police operation and potential protest activity expected. The Israeli president's visit has been welcomed by major Jewish organisations and federal and state governments, while Palestinian Australians plan to protest against the visit on Monday.
The New South Wales government's decision to invoke "major event" powers during the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog is facing a court challenge. The Palestine Action Group, which plans to march from Sydney town hall to state parliament on Monday night, has sought to have its challenge heard before the special powers came into effect.
At an urgent hearing on Sunday evening, Justice Natalie Adams ruled that the group's challenge would be heard by Justice Robertson Wright at 10am on Monday. The court decision will determine whether the government's use of special powers is disproportionate and vague, as claimed by the Palestine Action Group.
The group's barrister, Mark Robinson SC, argued that Herzog's visit was not an appropriate event under the legislation, and that the invocation of major event powers was a breach of the public assembly restriction declaration. He submitted that the challenge be heard before midnight on Sunday to prevent police from constructing barricades preventing people from gathering at the town hall.
The NSW government has been granted leave to apply for a hearing later in the morning. The group plans to march despite a ban on protests under form 1, which would have authorized the authorisation of protests under that system but excludes Hyde Park.
Police are urging the group to relocate to Hyde Park and march to Belmore Park instead, saying it would "safely facilitate a peaceful protest on the streets of Sydney". The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has also urged respect and calm as the community prepares for Herzog's visit, which he described as a moment of profound significance.
The court challenge is just one of two ongoing legal challenges against the New South Wales government's anti-protest laws. A separate challenge by the group against the laws passed after the Bondi attack is also pending.
Police have stated that over 3,000 officers will be deployed across Sydney during Herzog's visit, with a significant police operation and potential protest activity expected. The Israeli president's visit has been welcomed by major Jewish organisations and federal and state governments, while Palestinian Australians plan to protest against the visit on Monday.
... Remember when we used to have these huge protests back in 2010? We had some crazy stuff happen during Obama's visit 
. I mean, it was wild times. Anyway, where was I? Ah yeah, so the NSW government is trying to justify using special powers for Herzog's visit, but isn't that just like what they did with G20 back in 2008? 
Police are saying this march won't be a problem, but we've seen how things went down at those previous protests. I'm worried it'll get out of hand...
. I mean, can't they see that protesting is a legit way to voice opinions and stand up for causes? 
it's Sydney, not some dystopian novel setting 
. I'm all for public safety, but come on, a bit of chaos can actually be a good thing – it brings people together and sparks change 
. And when it does, let's see how many ppl are willing to stand up for what they believe in 
. I get that there's gonna be protests and all, but can't we just have an open discussion about it instead of locking down the whole area? 
It's not fair to force people to move their protest to Hyde Park just 'cause the gov't says so 
This whole thing is getting pretty heated...
! I mean, it's about time someone speaks up against those laws that are just too restrictive. The government's trying to control every little thing, you know? And it's not fair to the people who want to exercise their right to free speech and assembly. I'm all about peaceful protests, but when the powers that be try to silence us, something's gotta give 
. and what about the march? will they get through to parliament without any issues? i'm hoping for a peaceful protest, but you can't blame ppl from being concerned 
. one thing's for sure, this visit is gonna be a wild ride 
And the fact that there's already two legal challenges against their anti-protest laws just shows how outdated and unfair they are. 
Mark Robinson SC's argument about the legislation bein' vague and disproportionate is low-key spot on in my book... And can we talk about how over 3k officers will be deployed? What a waste of resources... Meanwhile, people wanna protest and express themselves, but they gotta navigate all these hoops and red tape. 
and wot about police depluying 3000 officers? thats crazy! 
.
I'm really worried about what's gonna go down in Sydney on Monday 
It's always better to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue rather than confrontation. But hey, at least there's a court challenge gonna help figure out if the NSW gov's actions are fair or not 
. Hopefully, justice is served and everyone can go home safely tonight 
... let's all just try to listen to each other & figure out a way forward that works for everyone 
If the court decides that the NSW government's use of special powers is disproportionate and vague, it could lead to a massive mess and potentially escalate tensions between protesters and police. 
. They're basically telling Palestinians they can't even march from one spot to another without permission 
. And the fact that police are urging them to move to a different park just because it's not allowed under form 1 is totally ridiculous 
. The fact that the gov't is trying to restrict Palestinian Australians' right to protest raises some major questions about freedom of speech