NSW Court Strikes Down Anti-Protest Laws

0:00Last week, the New South Wales Court of Appeals struck down the state's anti-protest laws, known as the Public Assembly Restriction Declaration, or PARD. These were rushed through by Premier Chris Minnes' government right after the Bondi terrorist attack. The court ruled them unconstitutional, saying governments can't limit protests just to preserve social cohesion. The laws led police banned gatherings for up to three months in specific areas following terror incidents. Minnes called them rational and proportional when passed on Christmas Eve. But the judges saw them as a blunt tool to shield people from upsetting political speech. Minnes pushed back hard against the ruling, saying courts don't get the real-world need for police to keep streets safe during violence. He blamed protesters for the chaotic clashes at Sidney Town Hall during a rally against Israeli president Isaac Herzog back in February, calling any. Link to his laws utter garbage. Meanwhile, officials now say PARD was an act of that night. Instead, police used a separate major events declaration, but court docs mentioned PARD in some arrests,

1:06and Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed both were in play. He's reviewing charges from the rally as a result. This back and forth highlights deeper tensions over protests amid global conflicts hurting local communities. Instead of more restrictions, maybe it's time to build real bridges and let voices be heard without picking sides. That's your update from Sidney News Today, powered by AI.