Protect the right to protest

The right and freedom to protest is fundamental to the legitimacy of our democracy. To take action on the streets is often the only path available to challenge institutional or structural inequalities and injustice. In NSW, that basic political right has been dramatically and abruptly curtailed. Draconian anti-protest laws have been rammed through NSW Parliament in less than 48 hours by the Coalition Government with the support of Labor and the conservative crossbench.

People in NSW will now not be permitted to protest unless they are protesting in a State-sanctioned place, on a State-sanctioned topic, with the prior permission of the State.

What happened in the NSW Parliament was a terrible and shameful chapter in our democratic history, and the Coalition, Labor and conservative cross-bench should hang their heads in shame.

The Greens will continue to fight for the fundamental right to protest and will not give up until we overturn this dreadful law.

Join our campaign to oppose and overturn this draconian anti-protest legislation.

I was horrified to learn of your support for moves to crack down on protest in NSW, and implore you to reconsider your position and work to repeal this deeply anti-democratic law.
Despite its rapid introduction and passage through the parliament, the legislation was quickly seen for what it was: a massive contraction of our democratic right to protest and our civil liberties, and condemned as such by a huge coalition of our nation’s leading human rights, campaigning and civil society organisations.
I am deeply concerned at the conduct of the NSW Parliament in passing this law in such a rushed manner, which seemed designed at every stage to avoid scrutiny and debate. The eventual successful amendments to carve out industrial action from the legislation only came about after an intense last ditch lobbying effort by the unions - it seems unjust and a terrible shame that other civil society organisations were not given a similar opportunity to have their views reflected in the legislative process.
Our national history is one steeped in protest, from which some of our greatest and proudest achievements have emerged. To explicitly prohibit protest for First Nations justice, climate justice, animal rights and more will set our progress back and prevent us from achieving further great improvements to our society. A contingent right for freedom to protest and political speech is no freedom or right at all.
It’s not too late to walk back this deeply flawed, and likely unconstitutional, legislation. The long-term implications of this law on the quality of our democracy will be profound and may not be fully understood yet. I hope you understand the true significance of your actions in supporting this politically motivated attack on our political freedoms.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to ensure confidence in our democracy and democratic institutions. This legislation has only served to further erode worryingly low levels of trust. But it’s not too late – you can still stand up for what is right and commit to repeal this law.
I implore you to reconsider your support for a law that restricts our democratic and political rights.

I would like to BCC myself

PROTECT THE RIGHT TO PROTEST IN NSW