Following a ceasefire in Gaza, tensions rise in Melbourne as weekly pro-Palestinian rallies continue. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan urges peace, while Opposition Leader Brad Battin calls for the reintroduction of move-on laws to manage demonstrations. Rally organizers maintain their protests are not divisive and call for increased Australian action on the Gaza situation.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has called for 'peace' on Melbourne's streets following a ceasefire in Gaza over the weekend. This comes after Opposition Leader Brad Battin called for the reintroduction of move-on laws to allow police to disperse people they believe are obstructing a place or causing a nuisance. Organizers of Melbourne's weekly pro-Palestinian rally rejected the idea that the demonstrations are divisive, saying they believe more action is still needed from Australia on Gaza.
\Protests have been held every Sunday since October 7, 2023, outside the State Library and continuing along several CBD streets. Premier Allan told ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday morning that peace needed to be brought to Melbourne's streets. 'I'm firmly of the view that if the guns can go silent in Gaza as a result of the ceasefire that occurred over the weekend, then it's time to bring peace not division to our streets,' she said. 'Now too with the ceasefire in place, this is a moment, this is an opportunity to bring peace not division to our streets.' \Rally organizer and President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network Nasser Mashni said he entirely rejected the notion that the protests are divisive. 'I don't think the protests are fuelling anything other than an opportunity for a community that hasn't been spoken to, hasn't been addressed, hasn't been welcomed, that feels like it's an 'other', to get together and to speak about the horror that is occurring,' he said.'The conditions on the ground in Gaza demand action from countries like Australia and governments like our Labor Government here in Victoria.' Opposition leader Brad Battin on Tuesday called for move-on laws to be re-introduced and toughened during an interview on 3AW. The laws — which were repealed by the Andrews government in 2015 — would allow police to move people on if they believed they were obstructing a place or causing a nuisance. 'Let's make sure the police have the powers to move people on. That will clear the streets, get people out of the way, and let you get back around your normal day,' he said. \Deakin Law School Associate Professor Maria O'Sullivan said there was no time limit on the length of a protest. 'The duration of the protest is not an issue. It could be every day for 10 years and it would still not be unlawful,' she said. Professor O'Sullivan said introducing a permit system in Victoria could be 'quite problematic' as it required negotiations with police and can lead to unnecessary litigation. She said that could potentially cause creeping limitations on human rights. Victoria Police told the ABC the first three protests of the year have drawn an estimated total crowd of 2,000 people.
GAZA CEASEFIRE MELBOURNE PROTESTS MOVE ON LAWS JACINTA ALLAN BRAD BATTIN PALESTINIAN PROTESTS AUSTRALIA
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