Police have successfully stopped a pro-Palestinian protest planned for the opening of the Israeli Film Festival in Sydney, citing concerns about traffic.
The New South Wales supreme court ruled the protest, which was to be held on Thursday evening at Palace Verona on Oxford Street, could not go ahead. The ruling was made on Wednesday but the judge is not publishing the reasons until Thursday morning.
The protest was being organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney. Its founder, Damian Ridgwell, was served with a summons last Friday to appear in the supreme court this week.
“Unfortunately the judge ruled against us,” he said. “We are still deciding what to do, we will continue with some act of protest but we’re not entirely sure what form that will take … we are not going to be silenced by this.”
The Israeli Film Festival is run by Australia Israel Cultural Exchange (AICE), a group Ridgwell called a legitimate target of protest because of its support for Israel. He was expecting about 1,000 people at the march and said three protests since the start of Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, had attracted between 3,000 and 8,000 people.
A spokeswoman for NSW police said they were left with no choice but to go to the supreme court after failing to persuade the protesters to change the location or time of their protest.
“NSW police support people’s right to protest but we have a responsibility to the protesters and the general public to keep them safe and ensure people and local businesses can continue their normal activities without interference,” she said.
“We are concerned that the proposed time and location of the protest will cause significant disruptions, including forcing the closure of parts of Oxford Street in peak hour which will cause major traffic issues and safety issues for protesters and members of the general public.”
In the hearing Ridgwell cited examples of protests held in Oxford Street at a similar time including a protest against police brutality at the Mardi Gras last year, which began at 6pm on a Friday. A pro-Palestinian protest has been held in May for the past three years on weeknights in the CBD.
AICE was established in 2002 and focuses on literature, film, music, visual and plastic arts, drama, dance and architecture.
On its website it describes itself as an “outward focused, inclusive body, advancing the exchange of culture between Australia and Israel as a means of encouraging art and artistic links”.
“We foster a spirit of greater tolerance and understanding of the unique cultures that these two ancient lands have to offer and facilitate artistic co-operation, innovation and exposition,” the website says.
AICE has been contacted for comment.
