Amnesty International Australia has repeated its call for the repeal of anti-protest laws, following the use of force by police at a Sydney protest on Friday the 27th of June, where a 35-year-old woman sustained serious injuries.
Amnesty is deeply alarmed by reports of excessive violence and the ongoing weaponisation of police powers and arrest to restrict peaceful protest.
Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson, said:
“We must not follow the path of Trump’s America, where police forces are weaponised against protesters. The right to protest is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy, and any attempts to erode it through restricting and silencing protest to stifle dissent are extremely dangerous.
“The right to protest is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy, and any attempts to erode it through restricting and silencing protest to stifle dissent are extremely dangerous.”
Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson
“Since October 2023, we have witnessed the disproportionate targeting of those involved in protesting against Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. People demanding justice for Palestinians and an end to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide must be able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, opinion and assembly without fear. Protesters should not have to risk their safety simply to speak out against human rights violations.”
Amnesty International Australia reiterates that all people have the right to protest peacefully, without fear of violence or intimidation. Under international human rights law, any use of force by police must be lawful, necessary, proportionate and strictly limited.
Any excessive or disproportionate force, particularly against those exercising their rights to protest and speak out, must be subject to independent investigation, and those responsible must be held to account.
The NSW Government’s ongoing crackdown on protest in recent years, including the introduction of laws that expand police powers and impose severe penalties on protestors, poses a serious threat to civil and political freedoms in Australia.
Reports allege NSW police used recently introduced powers to issue move-on orders to protestors outside a place of worship. These laws must be repealed, and the NSW Government has an obligation under international human rights law to protect the right to protest, not criminalise it.
“The right to protest has been fundamental in progress on civil, political and human rights in Australia and across the World. Successive NSW Governments’ attempts to erode this right through heavy-handed policing and punitive legislation mean protesters now face tens of thousands of dollars in fines, prison sentences, and risk injury, simply for standing against injustice.
“It’s time for the NSW Government to stop repressing protest, to repeal anti-protest laws, and respect and protect people’s right to protest.”
Mohamed Duar
“It’s time for the NSW Government to stop repressing protest, to repeal anti-protest laws, and respect and protect people’s right to protest,” says Mr Duar.
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