OPINION
The WA government has confirmed it is considering introducing laws to ban protests from occurring in the vicinity of places of worship.
The Victorian government announced it would introduce laws that stopped protests from occurring with the proximity of churches, mosques and synagogues in the wake of the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue. The New South Wales government has also announced it looking into similar legislation.
This week Western Australian police minister Paul Papalia said he thought the laws sounded reasonable and it would be something he’d be discussing with Premier Roger Cook.
The Premier has said that he doesn’t think Western Australia needs laws of this nature at this stage, but they might be needed in the future.
The idea is that the laws would operate in a similar way to exclusion zones around reproductive health care premises which prevent anti-abortion campaigners from coming with 150 metres of the facility. The restrictions are in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The proposal has been questioned by survivors of child abuse who note that many of their protests against churches over historical sexual abuse have been peaceful but directed at houses of worship.
Victorian academic and activist Hiero Badge posted a map of central Melbourne noting that the large number of religious spaces in the city centre would make much of the CBD a no-go zone for protesting.
Looking back over protests held in Perth in the past, there’s many which would not have been permitted if laws such as those proposed were in place.
In 2012 outspoken religious leader Margaret Court held an event to advocate against same-sex marriage. Inside the venue a range of speakers including Court and author Bill Muehlenberg spoke about why marriage could only ever be between a man and a woman, while outside protestors chanted. The church has set up large speaks to blast Christian rock to the crowd.
That protest would never have occurred, those advocating for marriage equality would have been a few blocks down the street.
Neither would have Perth’s biggest ever rally for marriage equality. In July 2015 its estimated that as many as 10,000 people stood in the rain in Russell Square to show their support for changing the laws.
It’s a moment in a long journey to marriage equality where the local LGBTIQA+ community got a gage of how much support there was for changing the laws. So many people, all so wet as the rain bucketed down, but they stayed and listened and pledged their support for change.
If laws like those proposed were in place, it would have had to be held somewhere else.
We’ve lost count of the number of rallies that were held for marriage equality in the city centre with marches going down the Hay Street and Murray Street malls. It’s been a popular route for marches about everything from environmental issues, indigenous affairs, racism and international issues.
The Wesley Church on the corner of Hay Street and William Street would nix any future marches, as would the Wesley Uniting Church, the Trinity Church and the City Baptist Church.
Supreme Court Gardens, where rallies were held when Forrest Place was undergoing a revamp would also be too close to the St George’s Cathedral. Even the rarely utilised Weld Square to the north of the city would be too close to a place of worship.
Protests that have taken place outside of St Mary’s Cathedral would also have been banned under the proposal now being considered.
Protestors in the forecourt of the Western Australian parliament may need to step carefully, there is an eight-lane freeway between the parliament and the First Church of Christ Scientist, but it might scrape in under 150 metres.
Imagine if we’d never gathered on the steps of parliament house to call for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the equalisation of the age of consent, the right to adopt, or the removal of the Gender Reassignment Board.
Antisemitism, and any hatred of a religious belief should rightfully be condemned. As should acts of violence and terrorism.
People should be free to worship, but should the institutions be granted a no-go status to protect them from criticism?
If laws stopping protests within 150 metres of places of worship are introduced, I wonder how many MPs might consider moving their electoral offices to nearby locations?
I wonder what advances we’ve had in our society might not have happened without the protests that changed public opinion and spurred elected officials into taking action.
