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<\/p>\nThe NSW Police commissioner has announced restrictions on protests will be extended, ahead of planned demonstrations against the upcoming Sydney visit of Israel’s president.<\/p>\n
The Albanese government invited President Isaac Herzog to Australia after the Bondi Beach terror attack on a Hanukkah festival on December 14, which left 15 people dead.<\/p>\n
Nationwide protests have been planned against the visit.<\/p>\n
The laws enabling police to refuse authorisation for all protests in the wake of a terror attack were rushed through state parliament in December.<\/p>\n
“We are still less than two months from what is the worst terrorist incident in New South Wales’s history,” NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.<\/p>\n
“Today I have considered that there remains a significant risk to community safety by public assemblies and I have extended that declaration for a further 14 days.”<\/p>\n
The 14 days could be changed if the order was rescinded or revoked, which could happen at any time.<\/p>\n
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Public Assembly Restriction Declaration covers parts of Sydney’s CBD.<\/p>\n
For the next 14 days, public assemblies will only be restricted in the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command and in parts of Sydney’s CBD, excluding Hyde Park.<\/p>\n
The declaration can be extended in two-week increments for up to three months.<\/p>\n
Commissioner Lanyon also said police were investigating 10 acts of antisemitic incidents from the past two weeks, and that Jewish people have been subjected to threatening phone calls.<\/p>\n
Israel president’s visit<\/p>\n
Mr Herzog was expected to land in Sydney on February 8 for a four-day visit.<\/p>\n
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Commissioner Lanyon confirmed the protest restrictions would be extended. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Commissioner Lanyon said there was “significant animosity” surrounding the visit.<\/p>\n
“Obviously, what I fear is a large-scale public assembly with so much animosity could present a risk to community safety,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We want to ensure that free speech is enshrined but we need to make sure that is balanced by community safety.”<\/p>\n
He said “3,000 police shifts” would be deployed as part of the protection provided to Mr Herzog during his visit.<\/p>\n
A coalition of pro-Palestinian and First Nations groups have launched a challenge against the Minns government<\/a> in court, arguing the protest laws are unconstitutional and violate the right to freedom of political communication.<\/p>\n The state government has argued the laws were necessary to ensure calm in the wake of the Bondi attack.<\/p>\n Conflicting views of Herzog’s visit<\/p>\n Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week defended his invitation to the president after Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly declined to endorse the visit.<\/p>\n “I certainly welcome him coming and I look forward to visiting,” Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n “I note that Anne Aly has made appropriate comments as well, welcoming the fact, welcoming anything that leads to a greater sense of unity. We need to build social cohesion in this country.”<\/p>\n