Senior federal minister Bill Shorten has sparked debate by proposing that protesters in Victoria should obtain permits before demonstrating.
This move comes as thousands recently protested, calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East following the anniversary of the Hamas October 7 attack.
Does this measure promote public safety or undermine democratic freedoms?
The permit rule has already been implemented in New South Wales. Individuals who wish to stage a protest must submit paperwork known as “Form 1” or a “Notice of Intention to Hold a Public Assembly” to the police commissioner in advance of the demonstration for it to be considered lawful.
In this morning’s episode of The Briefing, we are joined by Anastasia Radievska, a protest rights campaigner with the Australian Democracy Network.
She sits down with Bension Siebert to offer her perspective on the perceived value, and potential harm, of making permits for protests standard practice.
“We always talk about the disengagement of voters from democracy. We talk about people not believing in democracy. I think the fact that people have continued to come out is a really strong testament to people still feeling that they have a right to participate politically and that their voices do matter in the system we live in,” Ms Radievska said.
She noted that, under international law, protests do not require state authorisation, and that authorising a protest on a political issue by the state almost “defeats” the purpose of the protest.
“We’ve seen that in Victoria, where there isn’t a permit system, the weekly protests have gone ahead pretty peacefully for 52 weeks now. So clearly, a permit system is not a requirement for having a well-managed protest,” she added.
Supporters of the permit system argue that it is essential for public safety, helping to manage large crowds.
In response to violent and aggressive demonstrations, Radievska said that protections against these behaviours are already in place.
“I think that the protections against the harm that can come from violence are already existing, and addressing those kinds of restrictions on protests as a whole is punishing the community for the actions of a small, very small subset of people who want to gather for violent or hateful ends.”
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