On February 20th, the New South Wales government passed the Crimes Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025, an expansion to the NSW anti-protest laws that would criminalise protest near places of worship.
Protestors “in or near” a place of worship could be penalised with up to $22,000, two years imprisonment, or both.
The Bill also expands the powers of police to arrest or move-on people outside places of worship. The Bill does not specify a distance from which a protest would count as “near” a place of worship, leaving it to the discretion of the police.
Common sites of protest in Sydney are Sydney Town Hall (St Andrew’s Cathedral), Hyde Park (Saint Mary’s Cathedral), and the Supreme Court (St James’ Church).
The legislation exempts protests outside Parliament House (across St Stephens Uniting Church) and any MP’s office. It also exempts protests that are a part of industrial action, or have been approved by the police.
Australia’s Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) slammed the legislation for its heavy-handed approach and the Government for failing to consult legal experts and the religious community before passing them.
Sarah Schwartz, Legal Director of the HRLC, described the legislation as a “thinly veiled attempt to curtail our right to peaceful assembly under the misleading banner of addressing racism — while doing nothing to address the root causes of recent racist attacks.”
“Expanding police powers and restricting protest will only create more division by silencing the voices of people peacefully speaking out. You cannot arrest your way to tolerance.”
Sue Higginson, Greens member of the Legislative Council, criticised the legislation’s focus on strengthening policing as a misdirection of resources during the Legislative Council debate.
“Over-empowering police to control citizens shifts focus from crucial resources that would rectify the issues that police should aim to subdue. Media and social regulation, community education and engagement, investment into anti-racism strategies and early intervention programs are just a few of the avenues that the Government could and should take instead.”
Anthony D’Adam, Labor member of the Legislative Council, voiced reservations about the legislation. He spoke to the context of the December 4th, 2024 protest against the Israel Institute of Technology outside of the Great Synagogue, one of the incidents that incited the creation of this legislation.
It is understood that D’Adam was one of the few Labor MPs that opposed the legislation in the Labor caucus.
While D’Adam did not attend the protest, he clarifies that “no-one was obstructed in terms of access or egress to the synagogue.”
“The suggestion that somehow the protest was threatening or obstructive to those seeking to enter or exit the synagogue for the purposes of exercising their rights of expressing or practicing their religious faith is a complete confection.”
Grace Street, General Secretary of the USyd Student Representative Council, provided comment to Honi on student-led protests that often occur outside religious institutions — such as the Day of the Unborn Child protest organised by the Women’s Collective.
“It will require a united movement to protect these freedoms, but we are incensed and motivated to fight against this evident display of institutions and figures teaming up to maintain the status quo by essentially banning protest across major cities, by virtue of being built by Christian colonialists and being filled with places of worship. It is nothing that our students, staff, and broader community can’t fight as we continue to demand our rights and for the liberation of all through community organising and movements.”
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