Australian state proposes ban on protests at places of worship amid antisemitism spike

MELBOURNE, Australia  — An Australian state government on Tuesday proposed new restrictions on protesters in response to rising antisemitism, including a ban on demonstrations outside places of worship.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan proposed the new laws after arsonists gutted a Melbourne synagogue this month and protesters kept fearful worshippers trapped inside a Sydney synagogue for three hours a week earlier.

“That’s not peaceful protest. It’s menacing behavior,” Allan said.

“Antisemitism is a cancer and we must leave no stone unturned to fight the evil of antisemitism, to fight the evil of this racism in all of its forms and also to continue to work to help heal our multicultural community, to help build on that social cohesion and continue to support our strong, united Victoria,” she added.

The new laws would protect the right of people to “gather and pray free from fear, harassment and intimidation,” her office said in a statement.

The proposed laws, which will be voted on by the state legislature early next year, would establish safe access areas around places of worship and prohibit disturbances of religious gatherings.

The laws would also ban protesters flying flags and displaying symbols of groups listed by Australia as terrorist organizations. Face masks used by protesters to conceal their identities and protect against capsicum spray would also be banned.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich, a leading opponent of antisemitism in Australia, welcomed the proposed law.

“Today, the Victorian government has declared war on hate and antisemitism — and it’s about time,” Abramovich said in a statement.

“Victoria has drawn a line in the sand and sent a thunderous message to the hate-mongers, the graffiti cowards, the firebombers, and the social media trolls: Your days of terrorizing our communities are over,” he added.

The arson attack on Adass Israel Synagogue on December 6 marked an escalation in targeted assaults in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip that started over a year ago when the Palestinian terror group led a massive cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Cars and buildings have been vandalized and torched around Australia in protests against Israel that have often targeted the Jewish community.

Assaults on Australian Jews have quadrupled since the Hamas attack, a recent report found.

Authorities have declared the synagogue attack a terrorist act, which increases resources available to investigators.

A federal law passed in January banned the Nazi salute and the public display of Nazi symbols in response to growing antisemitism, and the government appointed special envoys this year to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.