Because the world is run by goddamn narcs, the NSW Supreme Court has ruled in favour of police and found that tomorrow night’s ‘Keep Sydney Open’ protest march cannot go ahead.
The ruling comes after the NSW Police Commissioner applied to stop the demonstration yesterday afternoon, which was originally planned as a peaceful protest against the lockout laws in Kings Cross.
In a live-stream reaction to the ruling, Keep Sydney Open organiser Tyson Koh has announced although the ruling suggests not a ban against protesting per se but against organising a “public assembly,” the group will not be going forward with their plans:
“For someone who’s not a litigator myself, I found [the ruling] a bit hard to digest.“Apparently the finding doesn’t prohibit the event, but if anyone were to turn up and we were to set up a stage and play loud music, we’d probably get shut down or arrested.“For the intents and purpose of KSO, it’s prohinited. We dont want to break the law.”
He did, however, use the opportunity to further rail against the laws, arguing that bar staff are being screwed out of shifts, bands are getting less gigs, and backpackers are “bored out of their brains…and cheated out of a good time.”
Finally, Koh mentions that while Keep Sydney Open won’t be organising a protest, people are still permitted in King’s Cross:
“People are more than welcome to have a night-out in King’s Cross. So please do go out.But when it comes to KSO, our group and myself, who is direting that group, I’m very responsisble for all the people, which is close to 60, and I don’t want to do anything that is going to result in people getting arrested.If you want to do something that is potentially against the law, I’m not going to encourage that, but you’re an independent person… We’re a group that fights for our rights that does play by the rules.”
Keep Sydney Open will continue to protest the laws, and will presumably have another event planned soon. You can watch Koh’s entire response below.
Source: ABC.
Photo: PEDESTRIAN.TV / Chloe Sargeant.
