Lawyers for three protest groups have argued that a New South Wales law banning marches in Sydney's CBD undermined social cohesion. The challenge was heard in the NSW Court of Appeal on Thursday.
The law, passed after the Bondi beach terror attack, restricts the form 1 system—which protects protest organisers from some offences—for up to three months after a terrorist event. The restrictions do not affect stationary protests.
David Hume SC, representing the Blak Caucus, Palestine Action Group and Jews Against the Occupation ’48, said the law was counterproductive. He argued that the form 1 system allowed negotiation between protesters and police, contributing to peaceful resolution of disputes.
Hume told the court the law gave police a relatively broad and uncontrollable power to require protesters to cease and disperse, adding that the state had not shown why it was necessary to prevent all protests.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon extended the restriction several times, citing community safety concerns but no specific intelligence. The restriction ended last Tuesday after Israeli President Isaac Herzog left the country.
