The Greens have today tabled a landmark bill to deliver Federal protection of the right to protest.
The bill does what the Government should have done by codifying in Australian law that all people have the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association without arbitrary restriction. These rights are enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) articles 19, 21 and 22.
The Right to Protest Bill 2025 affirms that all Australians have the right to engage in peaceful protest in public space, and that any restrictions on this right must be strictly limited to those necessary for national security, public safety, public order, public health, or the rights of others. This bill ensures that our domestic laws are brought into alignment with international human rights standards.
Senator for NSW and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
"We have witnessed an alarming erosion of our right to protest over the past decade, with successive state laws criminalising dissent, expanding police powers, and imposing severe penalties on peaceful protesters.
"As one of many protesters around the country who has been arrested under these harsh laws I have seen their unfairness up close.
"Governments are preparing for the inevitable public backlash against their continued inaction on climate change, inequality, and human rights. Rather than addressing these crises, they are seeking to criminalise those who expose them.
"Protest is a tactic used by those who can't buy political parties or the decisions they want, by those who don't control the media.
"Rio Tinto doesn't need to protest, but Traditional Owners of lands that are slated for destruction by their open cut mines often do.
"Rupert Murdoch doesn't need to march in the streets, but those demanding climate action from recalcitrant Governments do and are.
"Importantly, this bill ensures that excessive penalties-such as lengthy prison sentences and exorbitant fines-are unlawful limitations on the right to protest.
"Despite what Labor and Liberal Governments will say, Australia's international obligations do not allow for restricting these fundamental freedoms solely to protect corporate profits or business convenience.
"We need to resist this creeping authoritarianism and assert not just the right to protest but the right to disrupt until those in power listen," Senator Shoebridge said.
