Unions and civil liberties groups on the New South Wales South Coast have launched a fierce attack on what they label 'half-baked' laws rushed through state parliament, which ban public protests in the wake of terrorist events.
Laws Passed in Overnight Marathon Session
The controversial legislation was fast-tracked through the NSW parliament in a marathon overnight debate that concluded just before 3am on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. The package included tightened gun restrictions and new police powers to prevent public gatherings for up to 90 days following a declared terrorist incident.
While the gun laws, a response to the Bondi terrorist attack that killed 15 people, passed with less controversy, the protest provisions faced significant opposition. The NSW Premier, Chris Minns, succeeded in passing the laws, but critics within his own Labor party accused the government of betraying its core values.
'A Win for Terrorists': Unions Condemn Democratic Overreach
In a scathing open letter, South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris branded the protest laws as undemocratic and unconstitutional. He directly addressed Illawarra and South Coast MPs, urging them not to proceed with "half baked proposals that meddle with the constitutionally based democratic rights of the law-abiding people of NSW."
"The suspension of democratic rights of the people to demonstrate... does not sit well with the Australia that we all know and love," Rorris wrote. He argued that only two groups benefit from such suspensions: "political leaders who want to shield themselves from the voices of the people and the terrorists who want to attack our freedoms."
Rorris also expressed unease with what he described as the perceived influence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Australian affairs, noting the irony that Netanyahu "cannot stop most of the demonstrations against him in Tel Aviv, in a war zone but seems to have the expectation that Australians suspend their democratic rights in Australia."
Legal Challenge Mounted as Local Protests Continue
Opponents have vowed to fight the laws in court. Solicitor Nick Hanna, who will represent the Palestine Action Group in a legal challenge, acknowledged the need for law reform after the Bondi attack but criticised the government's approach. He called the changes a "knee-jerk attempt at politicising a tragedy" that takes away basic democratic rights.
The legal challenge will be joined by groups including Palestine Action Group and Jews Against the Occupation. The legislation's passage comes amid ongoing pro-Palestine activism in the Illawarra region. The Wollongong Friends of Palestine group has held regular rallies since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, including at least 10 protests outside Bisalloy Steel in Unanderra and a notable march across the Sea Cliff Bridge on December 7, 2025.
With civil liberties groups preparing for a courtroom battle and union leaders decrying the laws as an affront to Australian values, the political and legal fallout from the NSW government's fast-tracked legislation is set to continue well into the new year.
