Protesting allows us to voice our opinions, influence decision-makers, and advocate for the issues we care about. In Australia, protest has been instrumental in driving significant social change – like securing the eight-hour workday, women's suffrage, First Nations land rights, advancements in LGBTIQ+ rights, and the preservation of natural sites like the Franklin River.
Protest is a way for any one of us to have our say and be active in political debate, no matter our bank balance or political connections. No political system can truly call itself a democracy without a robust right to protest.
Our vision is an Australia where people’s right to protest is protected by law, respected by the judiciary and the police, and valued in our culture. To achieve this, we are working to:
Support grassroots groups and community organisations pushing back against a wave of anti-protest legislation across the country.
Elevate stories highlighting the importance of protest in a healthy democracy in order to shift the anti-protest public narrative advanced by corporations and anti-democracy vested interests.
Change policing approaches by pushing back against intimidatory protest policing.
Establish legislative protections for the right to protest on the Federal and State level so that communities can effectively exercise their right to protest and defend it against future attempts at restriction.
The Declaration of Our Right to Protest is a framework that outlines 10 key standards governments and institutions must uphold to protect protest. Developed by ADN in collaboration with the Human Rights Law Centre, it is a vital tool with which people and communities can challenge institutionalised power.
The Protest Rights Wrap is an ADN newsletter sent every second month. It provides updates on protest rights across Australia, the latest stories on protest repression and community defiance, and opportunities for you to get involved in the campaign.