Premier Chris Minns foreshadows review of Repeat protests – A significant Drag on Community Policing resources
SYDNEY 08, July 2024
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has revealed that policing pro-Palestine protests has cost the state a staggering $5 million this year, prompting him to assert that law enforcement should have the authority to shut down such demonstrations due to the “huge drain on the public purse.”
At a media conference on tuesday 8th july at Business Sydney HQ’s in Hunter Street, Sydney,.., the Premier expressed concern over the strain on police resources amid ongoing protests in Sydney’s CBD, which have occurred every weekend for the past year following the Hamas attacks on October 7 and Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza. He has initiated a review of police allocations used to manage these rallies.
“When you’ve got someone putting in an application every seven days for 51 weeks to march through Sydney streets, this is costing millions of dollars,” Minns said. “I think taxpayers would prefer that money spent on roadside breath testing, domestic violence investigations, and addressing knife crimes.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns emphasized his belief that police should have the discretion to deny march requests based on resource limitations. His comments come as NSW police maintained a significant presence at Sunday’s pro-Palestine protest in Hyde Park and a vigil that followed.
Some critics, however, are accusing the Premier of “disregarding human rights and civil liberties,” claiming the government is attempting to “criminalise protesters.”
Palestine Action Group members Amal Naser and Josh Lees condemned the Premier and political leaders for what they described as a “racist scare campaign.”
“Over the weekend, thousands of police were deployed in an outrageous and racist law and order campaign aimed at criminalising peaceful protesters,” they stated. “The government is terrified that dissent against Israel’s actions has reached unprecedented levels and seeks to suppress our voices.”
Under current NSW law, police must approve a permit known as a “form 1” for a protest to be deemed lawful. Premier Minns indicated that police should be able to deny such applications based on the financial burden of policing the events.
Greens MP Sue Higginson responded, stating, “The right to protest is foundational to a healthy democracy. Interfering with this right creates a dangerous environment where important voices are stifled.” She criticized the “extreme and excessive” police presence at pro-Palestine rallies, noting there have been no incidents of violence in the past year, except from police actions.
“As the debate continues, many activists are suggesting that the financial concerns raised by the Premier are an attempt to suppress dissent against government policies. They argue that grassroots movements demanding justice for Palestine cannot bear the financial burden imposed by such policing efforts, branding it a state-sanctioned effort to choke the right to protest and assembly.”
