Tell NSW Labor: repeal anti-protest laws

It's time to repeal NSW's anti-protest laws

To whom it may concern,
Please accept my submission to the review of Part 4AF of the Crimes Act 1900 being undertaken by the Department of Communities and Justice, and to the review of the Roads Act 1993, Part 9, Division 7 being undertaken by Transport for NSW.
The past few years have been marked by the harsh, excessive, intolerant and unfair treatment by police, magistrates and political leaders of those members of our community who have chosen in good faith to exercise their deep engagement and belief in democracy through protest and non-violent civil disobedience.  
No person should be punished by a term of imprisonment for engaging in an act of peaceful protest or non-violent civil disobedience. We must ensure a healthy and mature democracy that engages with, respects and facilitates political expression outside of the ballot box and where people are not criminalised and imprisoned for expressing themselves in peaceful and non-violent ways. Anti-protest laws and regulations that were passed under the former coalition Government to suppress peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience should be repealed in their entirety. They were instituted as a reaction to vested interests in the corporate sector, particularly mining, in response to communities resisting bad projects across NSW. These laws and regulations have had a chilling impact on the right to protest and have sought the unnecessarily harsh punishment on member in NSW and should never have been introduced. If the section is not repealed in its entirety, at the very least amend the Crimes Act 1900 to repeal the offence of intentionally or recklessly interfering with a mine and repeal increased penalties for blocking major roads and tunnels offences that can see non-violent protesters in jail for up to two years and fines of up to $22,000.
Changes made to section 144G in Part 9, Division 7 of the Roads Act 1993 should also be repelaed.
At the very minimum, amendments must be introduced that seek to limit offences for these actions to summary offences without eligibility for a custodial sentence. For most people that are engaged in these genuine political expressions, terms of imprisonment do not act as a stronger deterrent and may drive more extreme actions or further criminalisation of certain groups.
To the extent that it impacts sentencing for offences under section 4AF of The Crimes Act 1900, I want to note that custodial sentences in detention centres are personally destructive and create a huge burden on broader society from cost to rehabilitation. People that engage in nonviolent civil disobedience and peaceful protests should not be sentenced to time in prisons as they do not pose a threat to the community or themselves. The Sentencing Procedures Act should be amended to ensure that no custodial sentence can be given to people that are expressing themselves in nonviolent ways. 
Thank you for considering my submission.

I would like to BCC myself

Tell NSW Labor: repeal anti-protest laws

We live in a democracy and we all benefit from the hard-won rights, freedoms and environmental protections that were achieved through peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience.

But this is not reflected in NSW. Draconian anti-protest laws pushed through Parliament by the Liberal National Coalition and supported by NSW Labor treat peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience as something that should not be tolerated as they are an inconvenience and disruptions to profits, politicians, and police. The laws are anti democratic and are a dangerous slow creep towards authoritarianism in NSW. Protesters should not face tens of thousands of dollars worth of fines or years in prison for taking action for a better world.

The anti-protest laws have been used to punish trade unionists, peace and civil rights activists and climate warriors. Last year two courageous Knitting Nannas challenged them in the Supreme Court, which resulted in the finding that the NSW anti-protest laws are in part unconstitutional because they impermissibly burden the freedom of political communication! They are bad laws, they are a threat to everyone who has ever taken direct action for justice and they weaken our democracy.

We have an opportunity to throw them out for good.

Right now, the NSW Labor Government is undertaking a review of some of the anti-protest laws and they are asking the public for input.

Join the call to overturn the draconian anti-protest regime and enshrine the right to protest in law!

I encourage you to personalise your submission with any of your own experiences of peaceful protest and civil disobedience that you care to include.

Tell NSW Labor: repeal anti-protest laws

It's time to repeal NSW's anti-protest laws

Tell NSW Labor: repeal anti-protest laws

Join the call to overturn the draconian anti-protest regime and enshrine the right to protest in law!

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