A discussion on the new state and federal anti-free speech laws and how to push back was organised at Addison Road Community Centre on January 28.
The panel consisted of criminal lawyer and podcaster Nick Hanna, Hannah Thomas and Timothy Roberts, President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties. It was moderated by lawyer Amal Nasser.
Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung, and Dunghutti woman Elizabeth Jarrett and Uncle Dave gave the acknowledgement of country.
They all said the new laws pose a very real threat to freedom of speech. While they are now aimed at repressing the Palestine solidarity movement the panelists made clear that all protest rights are under attack, and that the laws against climate protesters were just the beginning.
Hanna emphasised the need to resist these attacks on our civil liberties and democracy, with the overall message being that people power is more important than relying on the legal profession. He said a new cooperative pro-bono Civil Liberties Defence Centre is being set up.
The federal law was criticised not only as ambiguous, but because it specifically excludes procedural fairness. Roberts said the law seems to boil down to the government saying “Trust us”.
Nasser said a Bill of Rights seems to be off the table, right now.
The panel urged people to get behind the Human Rights Law Centre and the Australian Human Rights Commission’s campaigns to Close the Gap to counter discrimination.
In question time, the panel agreed that the progressive movements must fight these laws together, protect smaller, more vulnerable, organisations which, they said, are likely to be picked off first.
A teacher warned that public servants, in particular, must proceed carefully or risk giving authorities a reason to sack them. Hanna said the appointment of David Gonski, a Zionist, to head up the Antisemitism Education Taskforce was of particular concern.
The panel agreed another campaign is needed to resist the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism being imposed because it falsely labels critics of Israel as antisemitic.
Hanna said we must not help the government attack groups some may consider to be extreme, because that can quickly spiral to include other. ASIO and the Australian Federal Police will be under pressure by the executive to declare “hate groups”. The potential for authorities to cancel visas and then deport those who are critical of Israel means that visa holders must also be protected.
Hanna also called for coalition-building to defend civil liberties and agree on priorities and actions as well as an increase in vigilance at protests. Others from the audience said activists needed practical guidance on their rights and demands on ministers. Others proposed coordinating a campaign to target federal Labor MPs’ offices.