Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced sweeping new “social cohesion” laws to give police new powers crackdown on protests, following discussions with the Jewish community and other minority groups.
The measures include a ban on masks at protests, a ban on displaying the flags and symbols of listed terrorist organisations including Hamas and Hezbollah, and a ban on the use of glue, rope, chains, locks and other attachment devices used by activists to cause disruption.
Ms Allan said in a speech in Melbourne on Tuesday that the laws were formulated after she met with “literally hundreds of members and leaders of the Jewish community” last week following the alleged firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, and were a renewed “promise to Jews”.
🚨BREAKING: Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced “as a promise to Jews” that wearing face coverings will now be banned at all protests.
Additionally, she has banned protests at all places of worship, the display of “right-wing group and white Nationalist symbols,” and… pic.twitter.com/mKENBurThw
— Australians vs. The Agenda (@ausvstheagenda) December 17, 2024
“We are setting a standard. We do not tolerate anti-Semitism, full stop,” she said.
“Just as we do not tolerate any form of hate, racism, discrimination, against a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Sikh, a Hindu or Chinese Victorian, against a woman, against a gay, lesbian or trans person.”
“Victoria’s multicultural communities have asked for this. Victoria Police have asked for this. And now, we’re making it the law,” she wrote on social media.
Ms Allan said further laws would be introduced to prevent protests outside places of worship, along with a “social cohesion pledge” which multicultural organisations would be required to observe in order to apply for government funding.
In regards to the mask ban, Ms Allan’s office said in a statement: “Police have observed that face masks are being increasingly used to hamper legal crowd-control actions and conceal the identity of those committing violence and vilification, including Nazis.Â
“Masks aren’t a free pass to break the law. There should be no place to hide in this state if you’re a racist stirring up hate on the streets.
“A mask ban in public demonstrations will focus on prohibiting the wearing of face coverings at protests and providing police with the power to require their removal. Exemptions would apply for legitimate health, religious or cultural reasons.”
During Victoria’s human rights-violating response to Covid-19 more than 5,700 people were fined for not wearing masks in public, even though they did not prevent infection or transmission.
Ms Allan said proposed laws would build on new anti-vilification legislation that will impose jail terms of up to five years for “hate speech”.
Both sets of reforms will need to pass parliament next year, but Liberal MP David Southwick, who is Jewish, said parliament should be recalled immediately so they can be voted on now.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said the new laws were a “game-changer in the fight against hate”, and Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he supported the move, and said Ms Allan should have acted on the requests of the Jewish community sooner.
The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network described the proposed reforms as a “dangerous attack on civil liberties” and an attempt to “silence public dissent”, while the Greens called the laws “worrying”, saying they would silence people and have a “chilling effect on democracy”.
The announcement comes after NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would also ban protests outside places of worship, and look at strengthening hate speech legislation in order to protect multiculturalism.
Header image: Left, Ms Allan announced the new laws on Tuesday. Right, visiting the scene of the alleged synagogue firebombing (Facebook)
