SYDNEY (Reuters) – A pro-Palestine group will proceed with a protest rally in Sydney on Sunday after reaching an agreement with police who had asked a court to block planned protests on Oct. 6 and 7, citing safety concerns for the protesters and the wider community.
Police said the Supreme Court of New South Wales state dismissed its petition by consent after organisers agreed to change the location and route of the protest on Sunday, and not display flags, portraits or symbols of prohibited organisations.
The Palestine Action Group Sydney also withdrew its request to protest on Oct. 7, the first anniversary of Hamas staging the deadliest assault in Israel’s history, which sparked Israel’s war in Gaza.
The group said it would instead hold a vigil in Sydney’s city centre on Oct. 7, though it was not clear whether that was allowed by authorities. New South Wales police did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Police said in a statement they would work with organisers on Sunday to ensure the safety of the community.
“Police will not hesitate to take appropriate action against anyone who commits a criminal offence,” the statement added.
Protests in Melbourne last weekend saw some participants displaying flags with the symbol of Hezbollah and photos of leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who was killed in Israeli strikes, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, is a “listed terrorist organisation” in Australia.
Australia has seen a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war and passed laws last year that banned public displays of terror group symbols.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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