Police in Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) province are appealing the Supreme Court to block two pro-Palestine protests planned for this weekend, amid concerns over alleged expressions of support for the Lebanese group, Hezbollah.
In a statement by the NSW Police Force, it said that the organisers of protests in Sydney on 6 and 7 October – commemorating the start of the ongoing hostilities in Gaza – had served notice to the commissioner regarding both planned protests, but that officers “are not satisfied that the protest can proceed safely”.
Due to those alleged safety concerns, which remain unspecified, it said the “commissioner has decided to apply to the NSW Supreme Court to prohibit the two assemblies”. The police force insisted that it “recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly”, but that its first priority “is the safety of the participants and the wider community”.
The police force’s legal action to prevent the protests comes after controversy was raised over the apparent presence of Hezbollah flags at rallies in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday, which prompted the Australian Federal Police to investigate them as possible crimes.
Those Hezbollah flags were reportedly carried by a small group who were not affiliated with the organisers, leading the organisers of this weekend’s protests to advise participants to leave such flags at home. Despite that action, police insisted on opposing the planned rallies.
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