Labor and the Liberals have launched an extraordinary attack on our democracy – ramming extreme laws through Parliament that crack down on protesters and all those who gather in the public space.

Under these laws, protesters who obstruct public space could face fines up of up to $50,000 or 3 months in jail.

The major parties claim that the laws are in response to the protests we have seen against the fossil fuel industry. The right to peaceful protest and civil disobedience are fundamental to our democracy, and it’s chilling to see the Labor and Liberal parties working together to protect the interests of big corporations ahead of the democratic rights of South Australians.

The Greens joined with organisations including SA Unions, Conservation SA, the Human Rights Law Centre, and Amnesty International Australia in opposing these draconian laws.

Disappointingly, the Government ignored the strong community opposition and decided to push the laws through the Upper House of Parliament after 14 hours of debate. You can watch my opening and closing remarks in the debate here and here.

The Greens are continuing to campaign to defeat these new laws. I have a bill before Parliament to repeal these draconian anti-protest laws and protect the right to protest in SA.