A refugee rights protest scheduled for this weekend has been blocked by the NSW Supreme Court but organisers are vowing to push ahead with the event regardless.
Justice Michael Walton approved the NSW Police bid to prohibit the protest on Thursday night, ruling that the public health risks - namely, the potential spread of coronavirus - outweighed the right to protest.
By Thursday afternoon, about 200 people had clicked ‘going’ and 1,000 had clicked ‘interested’ on the Facebook event for the ‘Free the refugees: National day of action’ being organised by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC).
NSW Police said they would not be able to control the number of people who would show up, which presented an unacceptable health risk.
RAC organiser James Supple told the court they were only expecting a modest crowd and that appropriate social distancing measures would be in place.
He said the protest would go ahead regardless.
"We'll still be holding an event this Saturday, urging people to participate," he told reporters on Thursday night.
"As the judge said, it doesn't actually make it illegal to come to a protest, it just gives the police more powers."
Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing urged protesters to comply with the court's decision.
"Justice Michael Walton has made it very clear this protest will be an unauthorised assembly, and the people of NSW need to respect that ruling," he said in a statement.
“While the NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals to exercise their right to free speech in normal circumstances, these are not normal circumstances.
“I want to be clear about this – if people choose to break the law and attend this protest, police will not hesitate to take the appropriate action against them.”
NSW Police Minister David Elliott backed the decision by the Supreme Court.
"If you disregard the move on directions of police officers, you can expect to be arrested," he said.
It comes less than a week after NSW Police went to the Supreme Court to stop last weekend’s Sydney Black Lives Matter rally, which eventually went ahead as an authorised gathering .
Police have warned that people who attend another Black Lives Matter protest planned for Sydney on Friday will be at risk of arrest as it is unauthorised.
It means attendees, who will not have the protections of the Summary Offences Act, can be moved on if they are obstructing traffic or pedestrian movement, which could lead to arrests.
Assistant Commissioner Willing said officers would “be out in force” to enforce the current health order.
Black Lives Matter protesters in Sydney on 6 June, 2020. Source: AAP
“We will have significant resources on the ground to deal with any situation and I implore people to express their views in different ways other than coming to a public gathering,” he told reporters on Thursday afternoon.
“We saw large crowds, obviously, on Saturday here in the city. We do not want to see that again.
“We want to see people abiding by the public health order, which is currently in existence, and finding other ways to express their views.”
to march in Black Lives Matter rallies across Australia last weekend.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for people who go to rallies planned for this weekend to be charged.
“You can’t have a double standard here,” he told Nine Radio.
“The issues of last weekend were very difficult, but I think people carrying it on now, it is not about that – it’s about people pushing a whole bunch of other barrows now and it puts others lives and livelihoods at risk.”
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
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