Key facts
- Former Attorney General Mark Dreyfus proposed considering restrictions on protests outside synagogues and Jewish schools.
- Dreyfus invoked a 2019 High Court decision that upheld safe access zones around abortion clinics.
- He testified before the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion.
- Dreyfus stated that antisemitism has surged following the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel.
- Jewish Community Security Groups reported a near doubling of protection requirements since October 2023.
Former Attorney General Mark Dreyfus has suggested that governments should consider implementing bans on protests outside synagogues and Jewish schools. Speaking at the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Dreyfus drew a parallel to existing safe access zone laws that restrict protests near abortion clinics, citing a 2019 High Court decision that upheld such measures.
Dreyfus stated that the proposed restrictions would not aim to ban political protest but rather to protect Jewish Australians. He noted that following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, there has been a deeply shocking upsurge in antisemitism. He shared a personal experience of being verbally abused in April 2024, an incident he described as a new development in his engagement with Australian politics.
The royal commission also heard from members of Jewish Community Security Groups (CSGs), who reported that the security requirements for these volunteer-led organizations nationwide have nearly doubled since October 2023. One witness, using a pseudonym, described the constant pressure and the decision to discourage family from attending Jewish community events due to security concerns.