‘Chris Minns must stop attacking democratic rights’
“Chris Minns needs to realise that criminalising protests or certain phrases won’t stop the anti-genocide movement from protesting a genocide”, said Isaac Nellist.
He was responding to reports that the NSW Premier is considering stopping demonstrations and banning certain phrases.
Nellist has been pre-selected to stand for Socialist Alliance in the Legislative Council for the NSW election in March 2027.
“Minns has a record of attacking people’s democratic right to free speech and right to protest,” Nellist said. “For a Labor premier, he has little understanding of labour values.”
Minns is said he is “open” to designating the Domain as a “protest precinct”, because he objects to “weekly protests blocking the city’s streets”.
Nellist responded: “Minns is weaponising the terrible Bondi killings to bring in new anti-protest measures. He is wrong to link the Palestine protests to the shocking terror attack, when the perpetrators are said to be linked to IS — not a friend of Palestine .
“Now he’s given the Police Commissioner the power to decide which protest can go ahead and he’s said he will look at banning certain phrases for ‘social cohesion’.
“Minns claims to be concerned for safety, but he is welcoming Israel’s president Isaac Herzog to NSW, despite the International Court of Justice using his very comments for the genocide case.
“For the past two-and-a-half years, Minns has consistently tried to stop protests opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Even the Supreme Court has ruled he has overreached.”
Nellist has been a regular at the peaceful anti-genocide protests for more than two years.
“These protests have been very large at times, and always peaceful. They show that hundreds of thousands of people are seeing through the lies peddled by Minns that standing up for Palestine is antisemitic.
Nellist was pre-selected alongside three others to stand for the NSW Socialist Alliance Legislative Council ticket.
“Minns has set himself apart from much of Labor’s base. Many in his own party are horrified by Israel's genocide in Gaza and strongly oppose Herzog's visit.”
“Two years of weekly protests for Palestine in Gadigal Country/Sydney, and regular protests in Muloobinba/Newcastle, Tharawal/Wollongong and many other regional hubs across the state have shown people’s determination to end our government’s complicity in this horror.”
Nellist said Minns’ anti-protests laws were being challenged on the ground and in the courts, by Blak Caucus, organisers of the Invasion Day protest, Jews Against the Occupation ’48 and Palestine Action Group.
“The huge turn-out for Invasion Day was another slap in the face for Minns’ anti-protest agenda. People will not be told how to react to injustices.”
Legislative Council team background
An initial team of four candidates for the NSW Legislative Council: Ben Radford, Isaac Nellist, Paula Corvalan and Pip Hinman.
Ben Radford is a journalist with Green Left and has a background in town-planning and working in hospitality. He is involved in Latin American solidarity work, recently having spent two years reporting from Peru.
Isaac Nellist is studying to become a primary school teacher. He is a journalist and photographer for Green Left and is active in housing and anti-poverty campaigns.
Paula Corvalan, originally from Chile, is a councillor and community relations specialist in housing and education and LBTIQA+ rights. She has a young daughter.
Pip Hinman helped found the Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition and is active in the Palestine solidarity campaign. She has been involved in a range of community campaigns, including Stop CSG Sydney, Stop WestConnex and for council democracy.
More candidates, including in Legislative Assembly seats, will be confirmed in future months.