NSW Police have gone to court to stop pro-Palestine rallies on the weekend

Police and protesters have come to an 11th hour peace deal after spending Thursday locked in a legal battle in the NSW Supreme Court.

The court heard that two parties had come to agreement.

“I am told that there appears to be an agreement,” barrister Lachlan Gyles, appearing for the NSW Police, told the court.

The Commissioner of NSW Police instituted proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court in an effort to have two rallies declared unlawful.

Earlier, organisers of a pro-Palestine rally planned for the first anniversary of the deadly Hamas October 7 Israel attacks withdrew their application for a permit.

The NSW Supreme Court was told the protesters were no longer seeking to march on Monday, October 7.

However they were still seeking to protest on Sunday, with the court told they had amended their intended protest path to now start at Hyde Park instead of Town Hall.

“The application for the Monday (protest) has been withdrawn,” Mr Gyles said.

“There is no approval for any public assembly on the Monday. That’s not before the court.”

‘TINDERBOX’: POLICE CONCERNS

The court was told the protesters had submitted an amended protest route which would begin at Hyde Park and go through the Sydney CBD before returning to Hyde Park.

The original proposal was for the protest to begin at Town Hall.

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told the court he was concerned that the amended route path would travel near the Great Synagogue in the Sydney CBD.

“I think it would actually be quite provocative to re-enter (Hyde Park) that close to the Great Synagogue, especially with the significant number of people that I would expect in this protest,” he said.

“It would be a difficult situation for police to ensure there was public safety.”

He said the situation could potentially be a “tinderbox”.

“Often it only takes one or two people to say the wrong thing and it could be a tinderbox, it could be something quite significant we have to deal with,” Assistant Commissioner McKenna said.

He said there had been a change in tone in the protests since the war spread to Lebanon.

Asked about the risks of the proposed Sunday protest going ahead, he said: “I see a number of significant risks.

“Since the uptake of the Lebanese community coming into the protest with the Palestinian Action Group, we felt a different undertone within the protest group, it is described to me by the police on the ground as a more aggressive feeling at the moment and we’re very concerned by it.”

In cross examination by barrister Arjun Chhabra, appearing for the protesters, the assistant commissioner agreed the Lebanese community had been involved since the protests started a year ago.

PRO-PALESTINE SUPPORTERS COURT RALLY

A few dozen protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court in Sydney, waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags under the watchful eye of a small number of police.

Marchers chanted “this is not a police state” and “we are all Palestinians”, as young children beat drums and with placards staring “justice B4 Zionist lobby”.

“We are not going to stop now as Israel is out of control waging this war of terror... We will not let them get away with this now,” one speaker told the crowed.

Protesters have held a small rally outside the court where NSW Police are trying to stop Pro-Palestine rallies on the weekend.

Marchers vowed not to have their protest curtailed by the potential court order, chanting that “Chris Minns we will march. Chris Minns we will win”.

Protests have been scheduled to go ahead in Sydney’s CBD on October 6 and October 7, with about 70,000 people expected to attend.

The two protests are being held to mark one year since Hamas fighters killed more than 1200 people in Israel which sparked the invasion of Gaza and later Lebanon.

The Prime Minister and other political leaders have called for the rallies not to be held on the first anniversary of the attack which left 1200 dead, in the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust.

The attack in Gaza has led to a year-long conflict in Gaza.

Recent Israeli ground and air operations on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon were sparked by the terrorist group’s ceaseless bombardment of civilian areas in Israel’s north that has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Demonstrations in Australia are facing increased scrutiny after flags of Hezbollah, and framed pictures of its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, appeared at pro-Palestine rallies last weekend.

More to come