Crackdown on masks and certain flags at protests
Face masks, balaclavas, glue and chains could be banned under a crackdown on extreme and radical influences at protests in Victoria.
Jacinta Allen
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced proposed laws to rid the state of extremist behaviour at protests including safe access zones at places of worship.
The changes target what Ms Allan called extremism at protests and include a ban on flags of listed terrorist organisations including those of Hamas and Hezbollah and several white nationalist groups.
“We will also legislate to thwart protests and disturbances at shules, temples, mosques, anywhere in Victoria where Victorians are simply undertaking their fundamental right of religious freedom,” Ms Allan said on Tuesday.
The announcement comes after a recent rise in anti-Semitic incidences in Australia, including the firebombing attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel synagogue.
Police will be given the power to search, disassemble and destroy ropes, glue, chains, locks and similar devices.
It will also be illegal for protesters to glue themselves to roads or wear face coverings such as masks or balaclavas.
Victoria’s Police Minister Anthony Carbines said the coverings can “embolden bad behaviour” at mass gatherings.
“If you have the courage of your convictions and if you stand for something, you don’t get to hide behind a mask here in Victoria,” he told reporters.
Ms Allan said the rise in anti-Semitism over the past year was “unacceptable in our modern, multicultural state”.
“We will be setting a standard — we do not tolerate anti-Semitism,” she said.
However, the premier said people’s right to peacefully protest must be protected.
“It would be wrong for me to say that everyone who’s attending these protests is anti-Semitic,” she said.
“There’s no one saying that, but we know some are, and we know some are saying that we also know that hate and anti-Semitism are thriving in these environments.
“This isn’t about the Middle East. This is about Victoria. This is about our values and the right of anyone in this state to live, work and pray freely without fear of intimidation, fear and violence.”
President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Jeremy Leibler, said: “These reforms will not only help to make Victoria safer and more welcoming for Jewish people, but for all Victorians.
Today’s announcement is an important step to address the Jew-hatred that has exploded in Victoria since October 7, and to help revitalise our once vibrant multicultural state that has been marred by division for over fourteen months.
These reforms are not about curtailing freedom of speech; they’re about curtailing hate speech.”
President of Zionism Victoria, Elyse Schachna, said “Victorians have had enough of their city being overtaken by often hostile and aggressive protestors.
People who want to protest about an issue should do so without their faces covered by a mask; this promotes transparency and accountability, and ensures that individuals stand by their actions and words.
We thank the Allan Government for listening and acting, and we look forward to continuing to engage with them to ensure that the government addresses these critical issues in a timely manner.”
Federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton welcomed the announcement but said measures should have been put in place at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Jewish Community Council of Victoria chief executive Naomi Levin said it showed the premier was committed to listening.
“We don’t want to see a society where places of worship come under attack from terrorists,” she said.
The latest reforms come on top of legislation introduced to parliament in November to expand vilification protections to people based on their disability, gender identity, sex and sexual orientation.
They will require further legislation to pass into law and hit the floor of parliament “as soon as practicable”.
The Greens dubbed the changes “anti-protest laws” and expressed concern they could silence survivors of child sexual abuse, as well as social and environmental activists.
“These laws risk massive overreach and this kind of policy on the run could lead to perverse outcomes and have a chilling effect on our democracy,” the party’s justice spokeswoman Katherine Copsey said.
By Holly Hales in Melbourne/AAP with J-Wire
