Palestine Action Group call for NSW Premier Chris Minns to resign over anti-protest law push
Sydney’s largest pro-Palestine group have taken their fight against new anti-protest laws to the Minns governments’ doorstep, with a Greens MP joining the rally and chanting an anti-Israel slogan.
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Sydney’s largest pro-Palestine group have taken their fight against new anti-protest laws to the Minns governments’ doorstep, as they call for NSW Premier Chris Minns to repeal the legislation and resign.
The Palestine Action Group (PAG) protested outside NSW parliament on Tuesday morning against the “draconian laws,” which give police expanded powers to issue move-on orders at protests near places of worship.
Group leaders claim the laws are unconstitutional and could lead to protests being banned throughout the state. The concerns prompted PAG to file a constitutional challenge in the NSW Supreme Court against the laws on Monday.
Newtown Greens MP Jenny Leong chanted the anti-Israel slogan “from the river to the sea” outside of parliament to the small group of about 50 protesters, before she laid into the Minns government for trying to combat racism with harsher laws.
“(The) outrageous, disgraceful Minns government … has failed to listen to the needs of the people and has in fact, used the horrific events that occurred on October 7 as a way (for the premier) be able to try and advance his own political agenda and maintain his own power,” Ms Leong said.
“Strengthening law and order reforms have never been the solution to stopping discrimination.”
Ms Leong said the Greens had “very little friends” in parliament but would forge ahead with their motion to have the laws repealed.
It comes as Mr Minns faces mounting pressure about his decision to push racial hatred, hate speech and anti-protest laws through parliament amid the Dural caravan incident, which NSW Police have since revealed was a “criminal con job”.
The Dural caravan was discovered on January 19 and NSW Police had “disproved” the incident was genuine terrorism by February 21 – the day the laws passed.
However, this was not disclosed to the public until last week.
PAG spokesman Josh Lees led the crowd in chants including “protesting is not a crime” and “free Palestine” between speeches calling for Mr Minns to resign.
“The government has used this criminal con-job to engage in their own criminal con-job and pass a series of draconian, vicious, horrible anti-protest laws that are fundamentally undemocratic,” he said.
Mr Lees called for Labor caucus members who initially opposed the laws to “get a spine” and “show some bloody principle”.
Mr Minns previously ruled out repealing the laws, insisting they were not limited to anti-Semitism but “apply to anyone, preying on any person, at any time”.
He also said the Dural caravan incident caused “terror” regardless of the motivation.
“While the caravan was part of a criminal conspiracy – and not the plot of a terrorist organisation – it was still appalling racial hatred. It targeted the Jewish community. It targeted a racial group to instil terror in our state,” he said.
Under the protest laws introduced last month, police will be able to issue move-on orders for protests “in or near” places of worship, regardless of whether it is directed at a religious institution.
More to come.
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Originally published as Palestine Action Group call for NSW Premier Chris Minns to resign over anti-protest law push
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