Video Information
On January 25, 2023, the Australian activist group Get Up released a 6-miinute video clip explaining what direct action had achieved in Australia and urging people to defend the right to protest.
On November 11, 2022, Sky News televised a report featuring warnings from Sussex police that protesters blocking the M25 freeway were risking their own lives and those of motorists and the police.
On November 11, 2022, Sky News London conducted an interview with climate activist Indigo Rumbelow from the protest group Just Stop Oil. The interviewer challenged Rumbelow about the effectiveness of blocking motorways as a form of protest.
On November 5, 2022, Fox 13 televised a report of protesters blocking five lines on a north Seattle highway to protest genocide in Ethiopia and criticise the American government for making arms deals with Ethiopia.
On October 13, 2022, a group calling themselves the Knitting Nannas protested outside the New South Wales Supreme Court, expressing their opposition to the state's new protest laws.
On January 17, 2022, DW News televised a report showing a range of reactions to British laws restricting protest in response to climate activists' actions.
On January 16, 2022, Sky News televised a report in which protesters marching against the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in Britain were interviewed. They expressed their concern that this bill would remove their right to protest.
On June 7, 2020, Today televised a segment showing a wide range of peaceful community protests and actions following the death of George Floyd.
On July 5, 2020, 9 News Australia televised a report of a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park Sydney which later became violent.
On July 20, 2022, SBS News televised a five-minute segment giving an overview of anti-protest laws in Australia and explaining why these are a concern.
On October 28, 2021, The Telegraph televised footage of the climate activist group Insulated Britain being sprayed with ink while they blocked a London road to protest against climate change.
On October 10, 2019, SBS News televised a report on action being taken in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland against protesters from environmental action groups.
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The right to protest: are Australia's new protest laws too severe?
- Web links, documents and video clips
On January 12, 2023, Human Rights Watch issued its World Report 2023. The report criticised Australia on several fronts, including its adoption of harsher anti-protest laws.
The full report can be accessed at 
On January 12, 2023, Human Rights Watch issued a media release titled 'Australia: Rights Failings Tarnish Regional Credibility' which outlined its concerns about Australia's current human rights record as detailed in its World Report 2023 released on the same day.
The full text can be accessed at
On January 12, 2023, The Guardian published a report titled 'Australia's credibility on human rights blighted by laws targeting climate protesters and jailing children, report says'.
The news report detailed some of the comments made in the Human Rights Watch World Report 2023 and included some additional comments on Australia's human rights performance.
The full text can be accessed at
On December 15, 2022, The Latch published a comment and analysis by Jack Revell titled 'No Right to Protest: What Are the New Anti-Protest Laws Being Used to Lock Up Climate Activists?'
The article examines New South Wales new protest laws and the extent to which they are replicated in other states.
The full text can be accessed at
On December 9, 2022, ABC news published an opinion piece by environment report Nick Kilvert titled 'If NSW wants to stop climate change protests, there's an alternative to jailing activists'. The comment examines the new New South Wales protest laws and suggests that rather than jailing climate activists, the state might act on their demands.
The full text can be accessed at
On December 8, 2022, The Mandarin published a comment by Maeve McGregor titled ' "Short of dictatorships, we are world leaders': Australia's record on criminalising environmental protest' The opinion piece (reproduced from Crikey) argues against the new laws as anti-democratic.
The full text can be accessed at
On December 6, 2022, The Sydney Morning Herald published a news report titled '"Nobody is above the law": Minister stands by anti-protest laws that sent niece to jail.' The report details the support of Alister Henskens, the NSW Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade for his government's new anti-protest legislation.
The full text can be accessed at
On December 5, 2022, Sky News published a report titled 'Dominic Perrottet defends jail term for climate activist Deanna "Violet" Coco who blocked traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge'
The report details the response of New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet to the jail sentence given climate change protester Violet Coco.
The full text can be accessed at
On December 2, 2022, ABC News posted a news report titled 'Climate change protester who blocked Sydney Harbor Bridge sentenced to months in jail', The article reported on the sentencing of climate activist and protester Violet Cocco.
The full text can be accessed at
On October 31, 2022, The Conversation published an opinion piece by Piero Moraro
Lecturer in Criminology, Edith Cowan University and Deborah Williams PhD Candidate, Murdoch University. The article is titled '40 years ago, protesters were celebrated for saving the Franklin River. Today they could be jailed for months.' The comment traces the increasing government opposition to direct action and the effect this is having on Australian activists.
The full text can be accessed at
On October 20, 2022, City Hub Sydney published a wide-ranging report on reactions to New South Wales new anti-protest laws. The article is titled 'NSW Labor sticks to supporting harsh anti-protest laws' and is written by Wendy Bacon, a former Professor of Journalism at University of Technology Sydney.
The full text can be accessed at
On September 8, 2022, The Tasmanian Times published a media release issued by Guy Barnett, Tasmanian Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing, outlining and defending the provisions of the Tasmanian Government's Workplace Protection legislation.
Published along with the government media release is a media release from the Bob Brown Foundation which accuses the Tasmanian government of having 'abandoned its citizens and shamefully bowed to corporate interests by passing new anti-protest laws.'
Both texts can be accessed at
On August 25, 2022, The Human Rights Law Centre published a comment titled 'A blow for [sic] democracy as Tasmania's anti-protest bill passes Upper House'
The opinion piece argues that the revised law represents a threat to the full functioning of democracy in Tasmania.
The full text can be accessed at
On June 25, 2022, Independent Australia published an article by Nicholas Bugeja titled 'Andrews Government defends anti-protest logging law'. The report details the provision of the Victorian law relating to anti-logging protests and outlines the views of both its supporter and opponents.
The full text can be accessed at
On May 5, 2022, Sydney Criminal Lawyers published an article titled, '"We Have a Conservative Anti-Protest Consensus in Politics", Says Legal Observers NSW's Anastasia'. The article details the opinions and observations of a member of Legal Observers NSW on the impact the state's new protest laws are having on direct action.
The full text can be accessed at
On April 4, 2022, Marie Claire published a comment and analysis by Lucy Corcoran titled 'The NSW Anti-Protest Legislation Will See Certain Groups Bear More Of The Brunt'. The article explains the operation of the protest laws in New South Wales and suggests that by excluding industrial action from is restrictions, these laws favour one form of protest over another.
The full text can be accessed at
On April 1, 2022, ABC News posted a report titled 'NSW parliament passes new laws bringing harsher penalties on protesters' The article gives details of the two amendments to existing NSW laws which increase penalties against protesters.
The full text can be accessed at
On April 1, 2022, the New South Wales Premier, the Attorney General, the Minister for Metropolitan Roads and the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads issued a media release titled 'Protecting communities from illegal protestors.'
The release announces and argues in favour of legislation that amends the Roads Act 1993 and the Crimes Act 1900 to clarify and strengthen protections against illegal protest activity that disrupts any roads, bridges, tunnels, public transport and infrastructure facilities.
The full text can be accessed at
On March 24, 2022, the New South Wales Government issued a media release announcing their first revision of protest laws making it an offence to disrupt any bridge or tunnel across Greater Sydney and imposing fines and imprisonment as penalties.
The full text can be accessed at
On March 24, 2022, The Sydney Morning Herald published a news report titled 'Tougher laws introduced for "economic vandals" after third day of climate protests.' The article details the actions taken by some of the climate protesters and the response of the New South Wales government.
The full text can be accessed at
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