Sydney’s March for Australia and “invasion day” rallies will both go ahead on January 26 after NSW Police extended the city’s protest ban but adjusted the restricted area to allow the rival demonstrations.
The original Public Assembly Restriction Declaration covered the entire North West Metropolitan, South West Metropolitan and Central Metropolitan policing area after new powers were granted to temporarily declare public areas “restricted” from assemblies following a declared terrorist incident last month.
The protest ban can be extended every 14 days for a maximum of three months, and Commissioner Mal Lanyon said on Tuesday the latest extension would only cover the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command and in most parts of Sydney’s CBD, excluding Hyde Park.
Sydney’s protest ban has been extended, but only for the eastern suburbs, including Bondi, and most of the CBD.
Hyde Park, where an “invasion day” rally is planned, in exempt, as is Prince Alfred Park where the March for Australia will begin.
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“Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the decision to extend the declaration to cover only certain parts of Sydney was made to balance the right to protest, while ensuring the safety of the community,” NSW Police said in a statement.
Anti-Australian “invasion day” protesters will start their annual demonstration in Hyde Park at 10am, while a patriotic March for Australia rally will begin in Prince Alfred Park, which is also outside of the restricted area.
The March for Australia event, which starts at 12pm, is expected to attract tens of thousands of attendees amid rising support for holding Australia Day on January 26.
“It’s time to take Australia Day back. Celebrate this beautiful country we call home, our land, our heritage and our culture. The government’s push for ‘modern Australia’ is eradicating our national identity and making our country unsafe,” a flyer for the event reads.
“Stand up and make your voice heard. We want our country back!”
Similar rallies are planned for Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, and Hobart, and all are organised by the same March for Australia group expect for the Brisbane event, which will be run by an organisation called Australia Marches.
The anti-immigration protest movement attracted well over 100,000 people to March for Australia rallies on August 31, and smaller numbers on October 19, and organisers are hoping to see record numbers on January 26.
The protest ban decision comes after NSW Premier Chris Minns promised the far-left “invasion day” rally would not be affected by his legislation allowing the protest ban, which came into effect on Christmas Eve.
The ban allows public gatherings but prevents protesters from obtaining police authorisation, meaning attendees can be prosecuted for obstructing traffic and pedestrians, and police can move people on for causing obstructions, and require removal of face coverings.
Header image: Left, the March for Australia rally in Sydney on August 31. Right, “invasion day” protesters (Facebook).
The post Sydney protest ban lifted for March for Australia and ‘invasion day’ rallies on Australia Day first appeared on The Noticer.
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