The Wire

Protesting is a democratic right – that’s the message activist groups and members of the public took to the steps of parliament house in NSW today. The Baird government’s proposed anti-protest laws echo similar laws in Tasmania which are being challenged in the high court by former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown. If passed, the laws would allow mining protesters to be criminalised and activists to face seven years jail if caught interfering with mining equipment or coal seam gas sites. The laws also include new search and seizure powers for police of any materials they think might be used to “lock on”, and would allow police to forcibly break up any protest they deem a “serious risk to safety” or to be “obstructing traffic”.