Pro-Palestine protest in Sydney to proceed as planned

4/10/2024 6:18

        A pro-Palestine group will
        proceed with a protest rally in Sydney on Sunday after reaching
        an agreement with police who had asked a court to block planned
        protests on Oct. 6 and 7, citing safety concerns for the
        protesters and the wider community.
        
        Police said the Supreme Court of New South Wales state
        dismissed its petition by consent after organisers agreed to
        change the location and route of the protest on Sunday, and not
        display flags, portraits or symbols of prohibited organisations.
        
        The Palestine Action Group Sydney also withdrew its request
        to protest on Oct. 7, the first anniversary of Hamas staging the
        deadliest assault in Israel's history, which sparked Israel's
        war in Gaza.
        
        The group said it would instead hold a vigil in Sydney's
        city centre on Oct. 7, though it was not clear whether that was
        allowed by authorities. New South Wales police did not respond
        immediately to a request for comment.
        
        Police said in a statement they would work with organisers
        on Sunday to ensure the safety of the community.
        
        "Police will not hesitate to take appropriate action against
        anyone who commits a criminal offence," the statement added.
        
        Protests in Melbourne last weekend saw some participants
        displaying flags with the symbol of Hezbollah and photos of
        leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who was killed in Israeli
        strikes, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
        
        Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, is a
        "listed terrorist organisation" in Australia.
        
        Australia has seen a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic
        incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war and passed laws
        last year that banned public displays of terror group symbols.