Video courtesy by ABC news AU
New South Wales Police have lodged a Supreme Court objection to block a planned Palestinian Action Group protest at the Sydney Opera House on October 12, citing public safety concerns rather than the event’s proximity to the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks. Police Commander James McKay said the Opera House forecourt cannot safely accommodate the 10,000 people indicated on the protest application due to engineering restrictions and limited evacuation routes, with the venue predominantly surrounded by water and only narrow exit points.
Former Labor Cabinet Minister Joel Fitzgibbon called the protest timing “a disgrace” during a separate interview, questioning why demonstrations continue as Israel and Palestine approach what he termed an “historic peace agreement.” McKay emphasized police have facilitated protests by the group almost weekly for two years and offered alternate routes, saying “we’re not anti-protest” but cannot compromise public safety. The police decision comes after a previous Supreme Court ruling overturned an attempted ban on a Sydney Harbour Bridge protest, though McKay argued the Opera House presents different capacity constraints than the bridge.
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