Refugee protesters flout public health order to rally in Sydney
A refugee activist group has flouted a Supreme Court ban by holding a protest in Sydney’s CBD today. The Refugee Action Coalition pushed ahead with the event after last night’s illegal second Black Lives Matter rally turned out a massive fizzer.
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Police watched on as refugee activists exercised their right to protest through the CBD in more ways than one.
Protesters at the unauthorised refugee rally walked around the Town Hall block in small groups of 20 or fewer, which police condoned.
That is despite Justice Michael Walton ruling on Thursday night the rally at Town Hall was a prohibited public assembly because of the undue risk of spreading the COVID-19 infection.
The ruling gave police the powers to fine or arrest protesters, which police chose not to.
The peaceful rally was smaller than the 200 organisers expected.
Protester Pip Hinman joined the march around Town Hall, in the honest belief she was practising social distancing.
“Everyone is wearing masks, socially distancing and moving on when asked,” Ms Hinman said.
“Freedom of expression cannot be taken away under the threat of COVID-19 and I do not believe in the selective threat of fines.
“There is a greater risk of spreading infection inside detention centres than what we’re doing here today.”
Public order and riot police stood shoulder to shoulder along the route to stop protesters standing on the Town Hall steps or entering Town Hall House.
A small minority from the “Save the World Army” tried to hijack the protest by expressing support for all protesters, including baseless fears over the 5G mobile network rollout and anti-vaxxers.
From today, the number of people allowed to gather outdoors increased from 10 to 20.
Refugee Action Coalition Sydney spokesman James Supple, who organised the event, said the group were maintaining social distance and would obey police directions.
“There’s been a lot of concern about significant inconsistencies in the health legislation for people to have public protests now,” he said.
“The impacts of mass gatherings are minimal … that was the evidence given in court from NSW Health.”
Saturday’s protest came a week after thousands descended on the same area last week in protests of indigenous deaths in detention as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Friday night, people once again gathered at Town Hall for a protest even after police successfully applied to the Supreme Court late Thursday night, where the rally was classed as a prohibited assembly.
“The law’s the law and they’ve complied today,” Chief Supt Gavin Wood said of how protesters were able to find loopholes.
The City of Sydney police area commander remained for the entire protest as officers surrounded Town Hall in a show of force.
“It was a short demonstration today but that wasn’t what the Supreme Court ruling was about,” he said
“We’re here to do our job and public safety and public health and COVID-19 is our number one priority.”
The protest ended after an hour, despite being scheduled for two hours. There were no fines or arrests for the crowd, which dispersed peacefully at 3pm.
An estimated 100 people turned out for the rally.
On Friday night, a 24-year-old woman was fined $1000 for disobeying a police move-on order during a Black Lives Matter protest in the CBD, that turned out a massive fizzer.
FRIDAY NIGHT PROTEST
Only a few hundred protesters, well below the 3000 who pledged support on social media, turned out in the rain for the protest, which was moved from Town Hall to Hyde Park at the last minute on Friday.
The surprise change in location was triggered after hundreds of masked and armed police converged on Town Hall hours before the rally was due to start in a strong show of force.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said 600 police officers outnumbered protesters two to one.
“As you’ve seen this evening a significant police presence was put on the ground to deal with any eventuality when it came to what was an unauthorised public gathering,” he said.
“It’s disappointing to acknowledge that around 300 people chose to ignore the warnings.”
Once police and protesters faced off at Hyde Park, there were ugly scenes as protesters swore at officers and shouted abuse via megaphones while brandishing signs and refusing to follow police directions.
A 24-year-old Panania woman was arrested and fined $1000 for failing to follow a police order.
NSW Police Superintendent Gavin Wood used a megaphone to tell the crowd they were “unlawful and they must disperse” but he was drowned out by protester Lizzy Jarrett, who stood next to him with her own megaphone.
Winning the shouting contest, Ms Jarrett, whose cousin David Dungay died in custody at Long Bay Jail in 2015, shouted: “F … the police they don’t care about black lives.” Ms Jarrett was given a move-on direction by police, prompting the crowd to cry out: “Too many coppers and not enough justice.”
Teenage activist Alex Mia, 17, led the chants as a group moved through Hyde Park.
He told The Saturday Telegraph he joined the protest to stand in solidarity with black people in Australia.
“I want to stand with them, I want to support them,” he said.
“The government does not want to address this issue. We are protesting so they have to.”
By 6.50pm, Supt Wood told protesters if they did not leave they would be arrested.
“This is a warning — disperse or you will be arrested,” he said.
The hordes of people started to leave when Ms Jarrett took the microphone and told them to go home.
“(We’re) happy with today. I don’t want any more lives brutalised by police,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“No arrests is a win.”
The rally had been deemed illegal as the organiser had not submitted the needed paperwork seven days before the event and it breached health rules prohibiting mass gatherings.
The protest caused peak-hour disruptions for commuters, with light rail services canned between Central and Circular Quay.
Last night’s protest was organised by the same activists who put together last weekend’s massive Black Lives Matter protest, which attracted an estimated 20,000 people.
Refugee advocates pushing for another rally today at the same location claimed: “COVID is dangerous but these refugees have been in seven years’ detention, isn’t that dangerous too?
“Ending the racist refugee policies in Australia can’t wait several months more,” the organisation said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warned people should not attend the crowded rallies, saying their actions “would put lives at risk”.
“For the rallies and protests that are planned for this weekend, the medical advice hasn’t changed,” Mr Morrison said.
“The medical advice is this is an unsafe thing to do. It puts not only your own health at risk but it puts other people’s lives at risk.
“I would strongly encourage people to exercise that responsibility by not attending those events and respect their fellow Australians.”
He also said he did not believe there should be a “double standard”.
“There should be no two sets of rules in this country when it comes to this,” Mr Morrison said
But the Public Health Association late yesterday came out supporting the rallies and suggested authorities take responsibility for putting in place safety measures for the demonstrators.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian asked the protesters to co-operate with the police.
“Lots of people do vent their frustration out on the front line,” she said. “We don’t want that to happen.”
Police Minister David Elliott warned protesters to expect to be arrested if they flout the rules.
“NSW Police will be out in full force over the weekend to issue fines against those flouting the health orders. If you disregard the move on directions of police officers, you can expect to be arrested.”
ACTIVISTS SHARE TIPS ON HOW TO BEAT COPS
Protest groups are issuing detailed legal and practical guides to demonstrators on how to counter and thwart the police, including how to avoid being subjected to alleged “kettling” by the riot squad in small spaces.
One of the organising groups — a Sydney University student body — is even running a workshop tomorrow on how to counter police equipment such as handcuffs, surveillance equipment and tear gas.
Titled Stand Up To The State, the organisers claim the NSW Police “will commit acts of brutality … this shows that we need to be better prepared for these types of confrontations in the future”.
Other groups, including the Australian Communist Party, have also jumped on the bandwagon – sending out instructions such as “Nobody Talks, Everybody Walks, Don’t Talk to Cops”.
Many of the protest groups have posted legal notes for people not to speak to police except to give their names and address if required, to film the police and refuse to hand over their mobile phone or be voluntarily searched.
“You do not have to speak to police at a protest, except to give your name, date of birth and address,” the Anti Colonial Asian Alliance says.
“Write the numbers of legal aid and a friend on your body where it won’t rub off.
“If you are approached by police, remember to ask ‘Am I committing an offence?’.
“Do not consent to a voluntary search.”
Vision of footage from last week’s protests has been shared by organisers, who claim scenes at Central train station of demonstrators attacking police were in fact “kettling”.
“The Public Order and Riot Squad used a tactic called ‘kettling’ against protesters — pushing them into a confined space inside Central station and deployed pepper spray without warning on the group,” Extinction Rebellion stated. Other organisers said to avoid small spaces.
The Aboriginal Legal Service is sharing its free legal hotline on protest websites and Youth Law Australia said indigenous people should make sure to inform police of their background, as police are bound by rules when speaking to indigenous people including ringing the Aboriginal Legal Service before asking questions.
“Stay hydrated, pack snacks, travel in small groups and check in on each other,” the organisers say.
* Additional reporting Carla Hildebrandt and Mitchell Van Homrigh
Originally published as Refugee protesters flout public health order to rally in Sydney
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