Police Seek Ban on Palestine Protest, Not Weapons Shipments
Funny how 'public safety' concerns rarely extend to the arms deals that fuel the very conflicts people are protesting. Australian governments have, for decades, maintained robust defense trade links with nations involved in global conflicts, often without a peep from 'public safety' officials when these deals go through. One might wonder if the concern is less about safety and more about avoiding
optics that shine an unflattering light on foreign policy endorsements, such as the widely criticized, decades-long refusal to condemn Israeli settlements, as evidenced by Australia's abstention on key UN resolutions . This isn't about 'public safety'; it's about managing narratives. When the government's allies are implicated, suddenly, peaceful assembly becomes a potential 'threat.' How many
protests against arms sales or complicit foreign policies have been similarly targeted? It seems dissent is only tolerated when it's muted or carefully curated to avoid any genuine discomfort for those in power.