The New South Wales Police, supported by Premier Chris Minns, are seeking to ban the planned Palestine Action Group (PAG) rallies held on October 7, marking a year since Israel’s dramatic escalation of the Palestinian genocide.
Both the October 6 and October 7 rallies were submitted and made known to the police through form 1, which is a legal ‘notice of intent to hold a public assembly’. The form was submitted for each gathering.
Despite the applications following both police and public processes, the NSW Police will go to court to apply for prohibition of both assemblies, claiming they are “not satisfied” that the protest can proceed safely.
Premier Chris Minns has supported this ban claiming this move is in line with keeping a “cohesive, harmonious, safe community”.
The October 7 assembly is set to be a peaceful candlelight vigil held for the people of Palestine and Lebanon, “mourning 12 months of genocide and terrorism” as stated by Palestine Action Group’s social media.
Among larger organisations, student groups such as Students for Palestine, Students Against War and Education Action Group have been some of the key actors involved in the weekly protests.
Last Wednesday, Students Against War held a snap rally protesting the attacks on Lebanon, despite the Campus Access Policy threatening disciplinary action.
A statement from Palestine Action Group released last night read, “ Palestine Action Group has been organising peaceful rallies for 51 weeks. This application takes place in the context of the genocide that Israel has been conducting in Gaza for a whole year.”
“The application to ban demonstrations commemorating and mourning one year of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and now invasion of Lebanon is an attack on fundamental democratic rights”.
The PAG went on to denounce the ban on communities gathering to mourn and protest this Sunday and Monday. “We have a right to demonstrate and we refuse to concede to political attacks aimed at detractign attention from the fact that the masses in this country opposes the Australian government’s complicity in this genocide.”
Students for Palestine USyd was contacted for comment.
For any students experiencing a crisis in these difficult times, you can access the SRC’s caseworkers here or University counselling here.
