Greens call for right to protest to be enshrined in law ahead of Cherish Kuehlmann bail hearing
1 March 2023 - UNSW educator Cherish Kuehlmann will appear in court today to challenge bail conditions set after she was arrested in the middle of the night by NSW Police last week. Ms Kuehlmann was charged with “aggravated trespass” under section 4B Inclosed Lands Protection Act 1901 - an amendment introduced by the NSW Government in 2016 aimed at preventing protesters from demonstrating on business owned private land.
Greens spokesperson for justice Sue Higginson said:
“The crackdown on protesters in this State is a dangerous and insidious attack on our democracy. Since 2014 we have seen an erosion of our civil democratic rights, gutted by the Liberal National Coalition and more recently with the support of Labor.
“NSW Police appear to be being used to protect corporate and business interests ahead of the NSW community. Ms Kuehlmann’s arrest was a frightening symptom of the political climate we are presently in.
“The bail conditions set for Ms Kuehlmann are also outrageous - we are spiralling into a state of oppression in NSW and we urgently need to pump the brakes.
“We need to repeal all of the intolerant anti-protest laws that have been introduced in recent years that are aimed at taking away people’s right to protest. We also need to take the necessary steps to protect protest in law and ensure that no protester can receive a prison sentence or unreasonable and overly restrictive bail conditions like Ms Kuehlmann has.
“Only the Greens are committed to do this in the next term of parliament,” Ms Higginson said.