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Jordyn Beazley
Police preventing more protesters from entering Sydney Town Hall precinct
There are more protesters trying to get into the Town Hall precinct, where thousands have gathered, but reportedly police aren’t letting any more people into the area.
Protester Josh Pallas, who is stuck on Kent Street, said at least 100 people were cut off from the area by a line of police. Some were chanting “let us in”.
Jordyn Beazley
Three Labor MPs defy NSW premier to attend protest against Israeli president’s visit
On the steps of Town Hall are the three NSW Labor backbenchers who defied the premier and vowed to attend the protest.
Stephen Lawrence, Cameron Murphy and Sarah Kaine all confirmed last week they would attend the event.
Kaine is due to speak soon. So is Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi.
Jordyn Beazley
Grace Tame addresses crowd at Sydney protest against Israeli president’s visit
Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame is speaking to the thousands of people that are now demonstrating against Herzog’s visit at Sydney’s Town Hall.
She has said:
What a backwards world is it when a so-called democracy silences and surveils academic research, art, music and sports and funds genocide, a so-called democracy that punishes peaceful protesters like us, but welcomes a war criminal with open arms.
Tame urged protesters to continue to mobilise:
What I want you to do after you leave here today is look around you, amongst your colleagues, amongst your friends and your family, and find as many people as you can who have not come to a protest, and bring them along next time because we need everyone.
We have to continue to mobilise, and we have to continue to globalise. Say it with me, from Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada.
Optus says some customers’ mobile services down but triple zero calls still working
Optus says it is aware of an issue affecting mobile services for some customers.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the telco has said:
If customers see “No Service” or “SOS” on their device, they are advised to restart their phone, to restore service.
We are actively working with our partner Ericsson and have noticed a significant decline in the number of customers impacted.
Customers are able to make emergency calls to Triple Zero.
We apologise for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience while we continue to investigate.
Australian government ‘gravely concerned’ by Jimmy Lai’s prison sentencing
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has released a statement criticising the sentencing of pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong.
The 78-year-old media mogul was today sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security offences, a punishment his daughter said could mean “he will die a martyr behind bars”.
Wong said:
The Australian government is gravely concerned by the sentences handed down to Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants in Hong Kong today.
Our thoughts are with their family members and supporters at this difficult time.
The prosecution of Mr Lai and his co-defendants has had a chilling effect on free speech in Hong Kong.
We continue to call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society, consistent with UN Human Rights Committee recommendations, and to call for the repeal of the Security Law in Hong Kong.
Australia has consistently raised human rights concerns directly with the Hong Kong and Chinese governments at the highest levels. We will continue to do so.
Large crowd gathers in Sydney to protest Israeli president’s Australia trip
Jordyn Beazley
Meanwhile, at least a thousand people have gathered outside Sydney’s town hall to protest against Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit, with more pouring into the area.
The organisers had pushed police to vary a protest restriction made in the wake of the Bondi terror attack so they could march to state parliament without risk of arrest.
There is a significant police presence at the event. Police commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters on Friday that 500 officers would police the protest.
Cait Kelly
Lidia Thorpe addresses rally protesting against Isaac Herzog’s visit in Melbourne
Senator Lidia Thorpe has just addressed the crowd at the protest in Melbourne, where she said:
We’ve all been witnessing atrocities. Starvation. Mass murder in real time. And we are asked to have respect.
As I said before, I stand against violence of all forms, particularly genocide. I stand in solidarity [with] the victims in Bondi.
As she says this, the crowd claps.
Thorpe adds:
But I also stand with my Palestinian brothers and sisters. And that’s not antisemitic.
The crowd is big now, sweeping across the intersection near Flinders street station.
Cait Kelly
Melbourne protesters gathering for rally against Israeli president’s visit
In Melbourne, hundreds of protesters have started gathering outside Flinders Street station. A sea of “free Palestine” flags are being flown outside the station, with the entrance already completely blocked off despite it not officially starting for another 30 minutes.
The MC has told the crowd:
Come on guys, it’s going to be a long night.
Andrew Messenger
Queensland to introduce new gun restrictions after Bondi shooting
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, is announcing a gun crackdown, in response to the Bondi terror attack.
His government will introduce legislation into parliament tomorrow making five changes, which do not include setting a maximum number of firearms per person.
Under the laws, only citizens will be allowed a weapons licence.
The government will also increase penalties for improper gun ownership, and clear up what the premier called a “loophole” preventing police from acting when a person was planning a terror attack, as opposed to after carrying one out.
They will also allow police to better take into account violence or firearms offences and increase penalties for drive-by shootings.
The police minister, Dan Purdie, said there would be carve-outs for sporting shooters and primary producers for the ban on non-citizens owning firearms.
New South Wales passed laws limiting gun ownership to four per person, except for farmers, and restricting licences to Australian citizens.
An inquest into the shooting murder of two police and a bystander at Wieambilla in 2022 recommended mental health checks for all firearms licence holders. The government will announce its response tomorrow.
Police move on Bondi protesters using challenged protest powers
Penry Buckley
Returning to the reports of an arrest outside Bondi Pavilion where the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, laid a wreath to the victims of the Bondi attack and addressed media this morning, as New South Wales police have provided more detail on the incident.
Police earlier said there had been an arrest, but have clarified that a move on order was issued to a 24-year-old man, who was spoken to by officers on Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach after climbing on an electrical box and yelling at the passing motorcade of the president.
The force said:
The man was issued a move on direction under the Major Events Act, which was complied with.
The “major events” powers have been unsuccessfully challenged by the Palestine Action Group today.
Police said two additional people holding placards outside the event at Bondi Pavilion were issued move on directions under the Summary Offences Act, which were complied with.
Under the public assembly restriction declaration currently in place in Sydney, which is subject to a separate supreme court challenge, police have the discretion to use “move on” powers at unauthorised protests.
Pro-Palestine group loses legal challenge against sweeping anti-protest powers
Jordyn Beazley
The Palestine Action Group has lost its legal challenge against sweeping powers handed to police by the Minns government for the duration of Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit.
This means that police, under the state “major event” legislation which is typically used for sporting events, may search anyone inside sections of the CBD and eastern suburbs until Thursday. Police will also have the power to move people on, close specific locations and issue orders to prevent disruption or risks to public safety.
Anyone who fails to comply with directions may face penalties, including fines of up to $5,500.
The group faced the state in court before Justice Robertson Wright after they launched an urgent challenge to the powers ahead of a protest planned at Sydney’s town hall on Monday evening.
The protesters will still potentially breach another anti-protest restriction passed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack and march to state parliament. Known as the public assembly restriction declaration, the restrictions give police the full suite of their move on powers under the summary offences act for offences like obstructing traffic.
On Saturday, the Minns government expanded police powers further by declaring Herzog’s visit a major event, prompting the group to lodge a challenge against the decision on Sunday.
Barrister Felicity Graham, who acted on behalf of the group alongside Peter Lange SC, had argued that the government had improperly used the act to curtail protests.
Brendan Lim SC, on behalf of the government, rebutted this argument, saying the purpose was not to suppress protests but for security reasons.
