|
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan proposed the new laws after
arsonists damaged a Melbourne synagogue this month and
protestors 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 Dec. 6 marked an
escalation in targeted assaults in Australia since the war
between Israel and the militant Hamas group started over a year
ago in the Gaza Strip.
Authorities have declared it 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.
Australia is an increasingly multicultural society. The latest
census in 2021 found that Australians born overseas or with a
parent born overseas formed a majority for the first time.
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
