Damn your ban: October 7 rally organisers to ignore court orders
Pro-Palestine organiser asks if October 7 ceremonies will include acknowledgment of Israel’s ‘Gaza genocide’, saying rallies will proceed regardless of a court ruling at 2pm on Thursday over their legality.
Sydney pro-Palestine protest organisation Josh Lees says a court order will not deter demonstrations on Sunday and Monday, the day before and of the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks.
NSW Police has put in a court bid to stop the demonstrations. The Coalition has called on the Victorian Police to do the same.
The NSW Supreme Court on Thursday will hear the state police’s argument to stop the two events – and to deem both as “unauthorised” – which would be contested in the same court by the organisers, the Palestinian Action Group.
Mr Lees said he and fellow protest organisers were asking people not to bring Hezbollah flags “because they could be deemed illegal” but they would otherwise “defend people’s right to hold pieces of cloth”.
“We’ll be going ahead with our protests on Sunday, the 6th of October, regardless of what happens in the court,” Mr Lees told ABC RN. “We are determined that we’ve been protesting for 51 consecutive weeks now. We’re certainly not going to stop now, especially as Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues, and now they are starting an invasion of Lebanon.”
He said the group was also planning a candlelight vigil at Town Hall on Monday.
“It’s a chance for Palestinian and Lebanese people to come and grieve for the thousands of people who have died and for their loved ones,” he said. “We have many people who have lost family.”
He said “people are welcome to grieve for whoever they want” when asked whether they would be grieving for victims of the October 7 attacks.
When pressed further, Mr Lees asked the interviewer whether they were asking the same of Jewish groups that planned to hold vigils on the same day.
“I wonder if you are putting the same question to those organising memorials for the Israeli victims of October 7th, are you demanding that they mourn the 42,000 dead Palestinians?” He asked.
Mr Lees also said he was urging protest-goers not to bring Hezbollah flags.
“We are asking people not to bring those flags because they could be deemed illegal and because we don’t want people to face arrest or legal troubles,” he said.
“I personally would not fly that flag. I don’t politically agree with Hezbollah, but we defend people’s right to hold pieces of cloth.”
He said that the controversy around waving the terrorist flags was not “at all reasonable”.
“There’s no discussion of banning the Israeli flag, whereas that is a state that’s actually carried out far greater acts of terrorism and is right now starting another war on Lebanon, the fourth invasion of Lebanon in Israel’s history,” he said. “So we should have some perspective when we’re talking about Hezbollah and flags about what’s really going on.”
Palestinian Action Group vows to continue rallies
The group has held Sydney CBD pro-Palestine rallies on 51 consecutive Sundays, all of which have been authorised and peaceful, and it believes it will win the last-minute court case.
Mr Lees on Wednesday said the candlelight vigil would be “small”, claiming it never needed police authorisation in any case.
It comes as Commissioner Webb on Thursday filed an urgent application at the court after the NSW Police Force said it could “not be satisfied” both events could “proceed safely”.
On Wednesday, police charged 19-year-old Sarah Mouhanna for allegedly displaying a terrorist organisation’s symbol at Sunday’s protest commemorating slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The police have no specific power to stop a public assembly, but under NSW legislation such an assembly is either “authorised” or “unauthorised”, with the formalisation of a “form 1” giving any organiser the green light.
Police have increased powers if a public assembly is unauthorised, including stronger “move-on” powers if people obstruct persons or traffic, which comes with a fine.
A continued failure to comply with a direction could also lead to an arrest.
Political leaders have been at pains to ensure that scenes at the Sydney Opera House last October are not repeated, where a group chanted “f..k …” and “where are … the Jews”, and burned Israeli flags.
It’s understood a large police presence will be in the Sydney CBD on Monday, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 atrocities.
Jewish leaders have said they had no issue with any protest activity at the weekend but any event or protest on Monday was “beyond the pale” as the community mourned on the anniversary of the attacks.
“For the past 51 weeks, anti-Israel activists … have brought racial hatred, tension and, in some cases, support for terrorism back to society,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said, noting that Israel’s military response did not began on or immediately after October 7. “We’ve never objected to the right of free protests in this country.
“But every right has its limits. To hold an anti-Israel protest on the first anniversary of October 7, one of the greatest atrocities of modern history, is beyond the pale.
“I appeal to these protesters to show a shred of dignity and leave this date alone.”
Anthony Albanese backed the police’s “absolutely reasonable position”, saying the PAG’s event on the one-year anniversary would be “incredibly provocative”.
“There certainly shouldn’t be any protests on October 7 because it would be seen as incredibly provocative,” the Prime Minister said, adding anything that “looks like it’s a celebration of (October 7)” would cause disharmony. It would not advance any cause. It would cause a great deal of distress.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns supported the police commissioner and ban, saying he feared a “difficult weekend for Sydney” – a “show of leadership” that garnered support from Peter Dutton.
“Our No 1 concern is peace and safety on our streets,” Mr Minns said. “Police believe there was a high prospect of conflict, something we couldn’t abide or stand by under the circumstances.”
He revealed it became clear it would be impossible to stop protesters from waving Hezbollah flags or symbols, potentially a criminal offence.
“The organisers don’t believe they can fully control all of the attendees (of about 300 people),” he said.
“Police believe it’ll be far greater in number than that, and the organisers aren’t prepared for the scale or volume of that protest activity. (The) police have made a decision that it’s not possible to put in (safety) provisions, given the circumstances.”
Civil liberty groups attacked the move, as did the NSW Labor Friends of Palestine, a group dominated by the party’s Ferguson Left.
NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Lydia Shelley said a “blanket ban” on protests was “anti-democratic”.
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