Labor law used to intimidate and harass opponents of genocide

Written by: (Contributed) on 13 October 2025

Ahmed Azar - Credit InDaily

At yesterday’s rally for Palestine in Adelaide, a young man addressed the crowd.

He was the first person known to have been charged under the Summary Offences (Obstruction of Public Places) Amendment Act 2023.

This was the draconian anti-protest law rushed through Sate parliament by the Malin-AUKUS government in an all-night sitting after an Extinction Rebellion protester caused minor traffic disruption outside an oil and gas conference held in the city.

The SA law imposes severe penalties - with fines of up to $50,000 and three-month jail terms - for obstructing a public place.

The SA law saw the State joining New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland who had passed anti-protest laws in the last five years, often by Labor State governments. SA’s anti-protest laws carry the harshest financial penalties in Australia. 

Ahmed Azhar, 25, was arrested at home last Wednesday after attending a peaceful rally the previous Friday in support of the Freedom Flotilla which had been illegally stopped by Zionist authorities in international waters.

He was arrested at his house in front of his family, and taken away in the back of a paddy wagon.

Charged under the new law, he was told by police said he could have bail if he signed a document saying he would not enter the CBD of Adelaide for an unspecified period of time.

He refused to sign it and spent 17 hours in jail before being let out. 

The next day, he appeared at the Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to the charges, but the case was dismissed and he was not convicted of any wrongdoing.

Nevertheless, this first application of the law shows the injustice of the police action.

It is even more ironic as Azhar had introduced himself to police at the Freedom Flotilla rally as the organisers’ police liaison contact, saying he was there to try and facilitate a safe protest.

It is telling that the new law has been used in relation to protests in support of Palestinians.

It reflects the inherent hostility of State authorities towards those who support the Palestinian people, and the Labor Party’s preparedness to criminalise those who oppose Zionist genocide.

Useful further reading: Why Anti-Protest Laws in Australia are Silencing Democracy - The Australian Independent Media Network

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