Repeal SA's anti-protest laws

One year ago, the South Australian government passed the Summary Offences Amendment Act - anti-protest legislation that has had a corrosive effect on the state’s democratic freedoms.

Since the implementation of the concerning new laws, communities have experienced more forceful police handling of demonstrations, including those that have had permits from police. Even peaceful street protests now have a high likelihood of being shut down by police and protestors risk facing jail time.

Taking part in protests allows any of us to make our voices heard and engage in political discourse, regardless of our financial status or political connections.

We're collecting signatures from community members and organisations across the state to show that South Australians stand strong for the right to protest. The letter will be sent to all South Australian MPs. Sign the open letter below.

Open letter to the SA parliament

Dear members of the SA parliament,

Last year on May 31st the Parliament passed the Summary Offences (Obstruction of Public Places) Amendment Act. This legislation was forwarded to the Legislative Council after its passage through the lower house in just 22 minutes.

We the undersigned are certain there is a pressing need to repeal this Act to better protect the right to protest in our state. This Act was designed to significantly and quite deliberately challenge and undermine the willingness of citizens and community interest groups to assemble peacefully and participate in protests by subjecting them to the risk of even more serious penalties when those democratic rights are embraced.

Supporting people to exercise the right to peaceful, even if disruptive, protest remains fundamental to safeguarding our democracy and giving citizens and communities a voice. The use of public places for assemblies is an essential component of the right to protest and yet, amendments in this Act significantly increased the penalties for directly and indirectly obstructing a public place, as well as making defendants potentially liable for costs incurred by emergency services involved responding to any obstruction.

As importantly, these changes were introduced without any consideration by Committee and without the opportunity for proper public consultation. Policing of protests appears to have become more heavy-handed since the introduction of the laws, even in relation to protests where permits have been obtained.

Allowing these laws to stay on the books signals to the community that they are not safe when they engage in protest.

Hence, we now call on the SA Parliament to immediately repeal the Summary Offences (Obstruction of Public Places) Amendment Act and for all members of Parliament along with the government, to again publicly commit to protecting the right to protest in South Australia.

Signed,

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