Shorten urges Allan government to consider protest permit over ‘week-in, week-out’ rallies

Bill Shorten has urged the Allan government to reconsider its stance on a protest permit system as rallies continue in Melbourne to mark the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack.

Bill Shorten has urged the Allan government to rethink its opposition to a protest permit system.

Premier Jacinta Allan last week resisted calls for a NSW-style permit system in response to October 7 rallies, saying police had the powers, tools and resources they needed to protect community safety.

But the Maribyrnong MP said there was “some merit in considering” the idea, adding “great cities of the world” have them and it didn’t stop people from protesting.

Pro-Palestine protesters at Flinders Street Station. Picture: Getty Images

Jacinta Allan says police have the powers, tools and resources needed to keep the community safe. Picture: Getty Images

“It is working well in NSW, and perhaps it is time for Victoria to consider a permit system,” Mr Shorten told Sunrise.

“It doesn’t stop people protesting, but the purpose of it is looked at, the circumstances, how it’s done is taken before a Supreme Court.

“I don’t necessarily think it should apply to industrial relations, but for some of these protests we’ve seen week in, week out, I do think that having a permit system would at least straighten it up.”

Bill Shorten has urged the Allan government to rethink its opposition to a protest permit system. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Victoria Police’s pleas for a new permit system for protests were also shut down earlier this year by Ms Allan. Picture: Getty Images

Victoria Police’s pleas for a new permit system for protests were also shut down earlier this year by Ms Allan.

This is despite concerns about the growing number of violent rallies and the disruption they cause to the public and police resources.

The Australian Human Rights Law Centre has long opposed a permit system, warning it would potentially conflict with the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly and association under Victoria’s charter of human rights.

Protests will go ahead in NSW today, after police and organisers reached an agreement permitting a rally before a Supreme Court decision was reached late last week.