Australian state proposes restrictions on protests to tackle rising antisemitism

An Australian state government has proposed new restrictions on protesters as a response to rising antisemitism, including a ban on demonstrations outside places of worship.

Victoria premier Jacinta Allan proposed the new laws after arsonists damaged a Melbourne synagogue earlier this month.

A week before the attack in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea, protesters in the neighbouring state of New South Wales prevented worshippers from leaving a synagogue in Sydney.

“That’s not peaceful protest. It’s menacing behaviour,” Ms Allan said.

“Antisemitism is a cancer and we must leave no stone unturned to fight the evil of antisemitism, to fight the evil of this racism in all of its forms and also to continue to work to help heal our multicultural community, to help build on that social cohesion and continue to support our strong, united Victoria,” she added.

The new laws would protect the right of people to “gather and pray free from fear, harassment and intimidation”, her office added in a statement.

The proposed laws, which will be voted on by the Victorian state parliament early next year, would establish safe access areas around places of worship and prohibit disturbances of religious gatherings.

The laws would also ban protesters from flying flags and displaying symbols of groups listed by Australia as terrorist organisations.

Face masks used by protesters to conceal their identities and protect against capsicum spray would also be banned.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich, a leading opponent of antisemitism in Australia, welcomed the proposed law.

“Today, the Victorian government has declared war on hate and antisemitism — and it’s about time,” Dr Abramovich said in a statement.

“Victoria has drawn a line in the sand and sent a thunderous message to the hate-mongers, the graffiti cowards, the firebombers, and the social media trolls – your days of terrorising our communities are over,” he added.

The arson attack on Adass Israel Synagogue on December 6 marked an escalation in targeted assaults in Australia since the war between Israel and the militant Hamas group started over a year ago in the Gaza Strip.

Australian authorities have declared the Ripponlea attack a terrorist act, which increases the resources available to investigators.

A federal law passed in January banned the Nazi salute and the public display of Nazi symbols in response to growing antisemitism, and the government appointed special envoys this year to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.