‘No tolerance’: Police warn protesters with vigil to go ahead without authorisation

NSW Premier Chris Minns slams protest events on the anniversary of October 7 as interstate police vow to share intelligence to catch any law-breakers.

Protesters hold up pictures of dead Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah flag at a protest at Town Hall in Sydney Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Friday slammed planned protests events on the anniversary of October 7 as “grossly insensitive.”

“I don’t think it is appropriate. That’s my personal view. To hold a protest or a rally on the day when people were massacred on the other side of the world is grossly insensitive, in my opinion,” he said.

State, territory and federal police have warned protesters “there will be no tolerance for illegal behaviour or violence” ahead of October 7 as pro-Palestinian vigil organisers vow to go ahead with their planned events.

Protesters have also been warned against displaying prohibited symbols after previous rallies in Sydney and Melbourne saw Australians waving Hezbollah flags despite the Lebanese militant group being a designated terrorist organisation.

Protests at the Sydney Opera House after Ocotber 7 last year were widely condemned. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“In Australia, there are offences that prohibit behaviour that incites or advocates violence or hatred based on race and religion, including the display of prohibited symbols in public under these circumstances,” the joint statement said.

“It is also a serious offence to counsel, promote, encourage, urge, instruct or praise terrorism.”

Police have put up a united front in the face of planned events across different states, warning they will share intelligence to catch anyone breaking the law.

“Police are lock-step in keeping Australians safe, and continue to work with all Australians, visitors, stakeholders, community leaders and leaders of faith to ensure Australian laws are understood,” they said.

“Police are planning and preparing for upcoming protests in some states and territories.”

Last week’s protest through the streets of Sydney CBD. Picture: Jeremy Piper

’VIGIL, NOT A MARCH’

A pro-Palestine gathering will still go ahead in Sydney on the anniversary of the October 7 atrocities in Israel, with organisers claiming it will be a “vigil’’ not a march, insisting they therefore do not require police permission to hold it.

On Thursday, the organisers agreed in the NSW Supreme Court not to hold a march on Monday at the request of police, who reached an 11th-hour agreement with Palestine Action Group to allow a Sunday rally to go ahead with a revised route – taking it away from Sydney’s Great Synagogue.

The organisers then agreed not to hold a march on the following day, but said they would instead hold a “static vigil’’.

JEWISH GROUPS’ ‘FURY’

But this has infuriated Jewish groups, who are asking why they find it necessary to hold any type of event at all on the October 7 anniversary, with community leaders repeatedly calling for pro-Palestinian activists to leave that day alone.

“Just as we would object to people gathering to commemorate the first anniversary of September 11 in a celebratory fashion, we do in this case as well,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said.

Thousands are expected to attend Sunday’s rally, the route of which will now be moved from Town Hall to begin at Hyde Park, in agreement with NSW Police.

Protest organisers withdrew their request to hold a public assembly on Monday evening, but they later said they did not need police permission to gather at Town Hall for a “static vigil”.

However, if those gathering at Monday’s vigil later decide to march, it will be regarded as an ­“unauthorised” action, allowing police to use their full suite of powers in response.

Premier Chris Minns said if the protests were deemed unlawful police would have special powers to prevent a march from going ahead. Picture: Damian Shaw

Premier Chris Minns is concerned a “static vigil” could lead to a repeat of scenes where pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the Opera House in the days after the Hamas attack last year.

“Twelve months ago on the streets of Sydney, a protest or a vigil that was meant to take place in Town Hall ended up all the way down at the Opera House on the front pages of newspapers all around the world,” Mr Minns said.

“We cannot see a repeat of that.”

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna. Picture: NCA NewsWire

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told the court the original proposed route of Sunday’s rally gave him “great concern” due to its proximity to the Great Synagogue on Elizabeth St in the CBD, adding: “I think it would be quite provocative to gather that close to the Great Synagogue … it would be very difficult for police to ensure public safety. It could be a tinderbox.”

Originally published as ‘No tolerance’: Police warn protesters with vigil to go ahead without authorisation