New South Wales police have extended controversial protest restrictions in Sydney for a third time, but have narrowed the covered area to allow a major Invasion Day rally to proceed. Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon announced the 14-day extension of the declaration, which prevents the standard authorisation of protests, but confirmed Hyde Park would now be exempt.
Balancing Safety and the Right to Protest
Commissioner Lanyon stated the adjustment was made to get "the balance right between community safety and a right to protest." The declaration will still apply from Darling Harbour through the northern CBD, Oxford Street, and the entire eastern suburbs police area command. The power, rushed through parliament after the Bondi terror attack, allows police to effectively ban major street protests, with participants risking arrest.
Lanyon reinforced that this remains a time for calm and community cohesion, noting the state is "still less than six weeks from the most serious and devastating terrorism act ever [committed] in New South Wales." He confirmed that 1,500 police officers would be deployed for 26 January events, with a third dedicated to monitoring protests.
Invasion Day and Counter-March Authorised
With Hyde Park now excluded from the ban, police have authorised the annual Invasion Day protest to march from that location to Victoria Park on Monday. A separate, anti-immigration march organised by March for Australia has also been approved, set to proceed from Prince Alfred Park to Moore Park.
When questioned about the effectiveness of the laws, given 49 static protests have still occurred, Lanyon argued the declaration had "taken the heat out of the community." He warned that police would monitor protester behaviour over the next fortnight and could alter the declaration again if community risk heightens, a point relevant to potential protests around Israeli President Isaac Herzog's future visit.
Laws Tested Ahead of Major Rally
The limits of the police declaration were tested just days ago. On Sunday, a group protesting deaths in custody attempted to march from Hyde Park while the ban for that area was still active. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna estimated 200 demonstrators were met by a "few hundred" police officers.
The crowd was ordered to move on and dispersed without arrests, but chanted "we'll be back" and "see you on Invasion Day." Rally organiser Paul Silva, nephew of David Dungay Jr who died in custody, told reporters a crowd 100 times larger is expected on 26 January.
Assistant Commissioner McKenna acknowledged that thousands could attend Invasion Day rallies, complicating police operations, especially if crowds seek conflict. "We've got an obligation to enforce the laws. They're only a temporary law, just remember that," McKenna stated.
