Latest news with #Lees'
The Advertiser
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Protester confident in fight against new police powers
A state's solicitor-general has defended controversial laws that grant police the power to move protesters on from places of worship if they are deemed to be disruptive. Michael Sexton SC faced the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday on behalf of the state government amid a challenge to the validity of anti-protest laws implemented in February. Josh Lees, on behalf of the Palestine Action Group, launched legal action over the new laws which he claims are very broad, undefined, and threaten the right to protest in NSW. Mr Sexton said the powers were confined to protecting people who were being targeted by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship. He told the court it was "difficult" to imagine a situation in which the laws would be enacted without the provocation of protesters causing harassment, intimidation or fear. The police powers had an "obvious and legitimate purpose" after being introduced in response to threats and attacks at places of worship around Australia, Mr Sexton said. Rather than standing alone, he told the court the laws were meant to be read in conjunction with other legislation which would lend context and application tests. Mr Lees' barrister Craig Lenehan SC accused the state government of attempting to have the judge perform "judicial surgery" because of their unclear construction of the law. He said the law had not been tailored for purpose and didn't provide any clarity to either police or protesters about the reach of the powers or the definition of nearness. Mr Lenehan took aim at the "legislative blunderbuss" which he said was "blasting away at an ill-defined mischief" and would likely have a chilling effect on protesting in NSW. "Because of those vagaries, the upshot is that a person might just stay home," he told the court. Mr Lees' legal team argued the laws allow police to direct protesters to desist, even in instances where there was no evidence a worshipper had been obstructed, harassed or was in fear. That meant the laws had stretched police powers beyond their legitimate constitutional bounds, the court was told. Mr Lenehan contended the laws were discriminatory because they expressly target certain types of political speech in a way that inevitably favoured some viewpoints over others. Mr Sexton argued the validity of the laws wasn't affected by the fact there were exemptions for union rallies or for people in charge of places of worship to permit protests. After the hearing, Mr Lees said he was "very confident" in securing a positive court outcome. "These laws are unconstitutional because of how vaguely and broadly they're worded which threatens the right to protest," he said outside court. "I think we can say very fairly that the government's legal representatives had no answer to that today." Justice Anna Mitchelmore has reserved her decision. The contested laws were introduced by the state Labor government after a spate of anti-Semitic attacks across the nation and amid concerns about rallies going past the Great Synagogue in the Sydney CBD. Before their passage, Attorney-General Michael Daley said stronger penalties and boosted police powers would ensure people could practise their faith in safety. "We believe these proposed reforms strike the right balance between protecting people of faith and the community's right to protest," he said. But a rabbi and other progressive faith leaders at the time warned the extra restrictions would lead to the over-policing of peaceful protests, including those by faith communities. A state's solicitor-general has defended controversial laws that grant police the power to move protesters on from places of worship if they are deemed to be disruptive. Michael Sexton SC faced the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday on behalf of the state government amid a challenge to the validity of anti-protest laws implemented in February. Josh Lees, on behalf of the Palestine Action Group, launched legal action over the new laws which he claims are very broad, undefined, and threaten the right to protest in NSW. Mr Sexton said the powers were confined to protecting people who were being targeted by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship. He told the court it was "difficult" to imagine a situation in which the laws would be enacted without the provocation of protesters causing harassment, intimidation or fear. The police powers had an "obvious and legitimate purpose" after being introduced in response to threats and attacks at places of worship around Australia, Mr Sexton said. Rather than standing alone, he told the court the laws were meant to be read in conjunction with other legislation which would lend context and application tests. Mr Lees' barrister Craig Lenehan SC accused the state government of attempting to have the judge perform "judicial surgery" because of their unclear construction of the law. He said the law had not been tailored for purpose and didn't provide any clarity to either police or protesters about the reach of the powers or the definition of nearness. Mr Lenehan took aim at the "legislative blunderbuss" which he said was "blasting away at an ill-defined mischief" and would likely have a chilling effect on protesting in NSW. "Because of those vagaries, the upshot is that a person might just stay home," he told the court. Mr Lees' legal team argued the laws allow police to direct protesters to desist, even in instances where there was no evidence a worshipper had been obstructed, harassed or was in fear. That meant the laws had stretched police powers beyond their legitimate constitutional bounds, the court was told. Mr Lenehan contended the laws were discriminatory because they expressly target certain types of political speech in a way that inevitably favoured some viewpoints over others. Mr Sexton argued the validity of the laws wasn't affected by the fact there were exemptions for union rallies or for people in charge of places of worship to permit protests. After the hearing, Mr Lees said he was "very confident" in securing a positive court outcome. "These laws are unconstitutional because of how vaguely and broadly they're worded which threatens the right to protest," he said outside court. "I think we can say very fairly that the government's legal representatives had no answer to that today." Justice Anna Mitchelmore has reserved her decision. The contested laws were introduced by the state Labor government after a spate of anti-Semitic attacks across the nation and amid concerns about rallies going past the Great Synagogue in the Sydney CBD. Before their passage, Attorney-General Michael Daley said stronger penalties and boosted police powers would ensure people could practise their faith in safety. "We believe these proposed reforms strike the right balance between protecting people of faith and the community's right to protest," he said. But a rabbi and other progressive faith leaders at the time warned the extra restrictions would lead to the over-policing of peaceful protests, including those by faith communities. A state's solicitor-general has defended controversial laws that grant police the power to move protesters on from places of worship if they are deemed to be disruptive. Michael Sexton SC faced the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday on behalf of the state government amid a challenge to the validity of anti-protest laws implemented in February. Josh Lees, on behalf of the Palestine Action Group, launched legal action over the new laws which he claims are very broad, undefined, and threaten the right to protest in NSW. Mr Sexton said the powers were confined to protecting people who were being targeted by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship. He told the court it was "difficult" to imagine a situation in which the laws would be enacted without the provocation of protesters causing harassment, intimidation or fear. The police powers had an "obvious and legitimate purpose" after being introduced in response to threats and attacks at places of worship around Australia, Mr Sexton said. Rather than standing alone, he told the court the laws were meant to be read in conjunction with other legislation which would lend context and application tests. Mr Lees' barrister Craig Lenehan SC accused the state government of attempting to have the judge perform "judicial surgery" because of their unclear construction of the law. He said the law had not been tailored for purpose and didn't provide any clarity to either police or protesters about the reach of the powers or the definition of nearness. Mr Lenehan took aim at the "legislative blunderbuss" which he said was "blasting away at an ill-defined mischief" and would likely have a chilling effect on protesting in NSW. "Because of those vagaries, the upshot is that a person might just stay home," he told the court. Mr Lees' legal team argued the laws allow police to direct protesters to desist, even in instances where there was no evidence a worshipper had been obstructed, harassed or was in fear. That meant the laws had stretched police powers beyond their legitimate constitutional bounds, the court was told. Mr Lenehan contended the laws were discriminatory because they expressly target certain types of political speech in a way that inevitably favoured some viewpoints over others. Mr Sexton argued the validity of the laws wasn't affected by the fact there were exemptions for union rallies or for people in charge of places of worship to permit protests. After the hearing, Mr Lees said he was "very confident" in securing a positive court outcome. "These laws are unconstitutional because of how vaguely and broadly they're worded which threatens the right to protest," he said outside court. "I think we can say very fairly that the government's legal representatives had no answer to that today." Justice Anna Mitchelmore has reserved her decision. The contested laws were introduced by the state Labor government after a spate of anti-Semitic attacks across the nation and amid concerns about rallies going past the Great Synagogue in the Sydney CBD. Before their passage, Attorney-General Michael Daley said stronger penalties and boosted police powers would ensure people could practise their faith in safety. "We believe these proposed reforms strike the right balance between protecting people of faith and the community's right to protest," he said. But a rabbi and other progressive faith leaders at the time warned the extra restrictions would lead to the over-policing of peaceful protests, including those by faith communities. A state's solicitor-general has defended controversial laws that grant police the power to move protesters on from places of worship if they are deemed to be disruptive. Michael Sexton SC faced the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday on behalf of the state government amid a challenge to the validity of anti-protest laws implemented in February. Josh Lees, on behalf of the Palestine Action Group, launched legal action over the new laws which he claims are very broad, undefined, and threaten the right to protest in NSW. Mr Sexton said the powers were confined to protecting people who were being targeted by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship. He told the court it was "difficult" to imagine a situation in which the laws would be enacted without the provocation of protesters causing harassment, intimidation or fear. The police powers had an "obvious and legitimate purpose" after being introduced in response to threats and attacks at places of worship around Australia, Mr Sexton said. Rather than standing alone, he told the court the laws were meant to be read in conjunction with other legislation which would lend context and application tests. Mr Lees' barrister Craig Lenehan SC accused the state government of attempting to have the judge perform "judicial surgery" because of their unclear construction of the law. He said the law had not been tailored for purpose and didn't provide any clarity to either police or protesters about the reach of the powers or the definition of nearness. Mr Lenehan took aim at the "legislative blunderbuss" which he said was "blasting away at an ill-defined mischief" and would likely have a chilling effect on protesting in NSW. "Because of those vagaries, the upshot is that a person might just stay home," he told the court. Mr Lees' legal team argued the laws allow police to direct protesters to desist, even in instances where there was no evidence a worshipper had been obstructed, harassed or was in fear. That meant the laws had stretched police powers beyond their legitimate constitutional bounds, the court was told. Mr Lenehan contended the laws were discriminatory because they expressly target certain types of political speech in a way that inevitably favoured some viewpoints over others. Mr Sexton argued the validity of the laws wasn't affected by the fact there were exemptions for union rallies or for people in charge of places of worship to permit protests. After the hearing, Mr Lees said he was "very confident" in securing a positive court outcome. "These laws are unconstitutional because of how vaguely and broadly they're worded which threatens the right to protest," he said outside court. "I think we can say very fairly that the government's legal representatives had no answer to that today." Justice Anna Mitchelmore has reserved her decision. The contested laws were introduced by the state Labor government after a spate of anti-Semitic attacks across the nation and amid concerns about rallies going past the Great Synagogue in the Sydney CBD. Before their passage, Attorney-General Michael Daley said stronger penalties and boosted police powers would ensure people could practise their faith in safety. "We believe these proposed reforms strike the right balance between protecting people of faith and the community's right to protest," he said. But a rabbi and other progressive faith leaders at the time warned the extra restrictions would lead to the over-policing of peaceful protests, including those by faith communities.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Missing Los Angeles firefighter's body found by divers off California coast
The body of a Los Angeles firefighter who went missing while off duty last year was found by divers Friday off the coast of Long Beach. Connor J. Lees, a 29-year-old firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department, went missing Dec. 4 while free diving with friends off the coast of Long Beach, Fox 11 La reported. The Long Beach Police Department told Fox News Digital personnel were participating in dive training when they found Lees' body in the water. Palisades Fire In La Ignites Looting Fears And Pushes Private Security Guards To The Brink "At this time, there are no signs of foul play," the LAFD wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner will identify [Lees] and notify next of kin. The investigation is ongoing." Lees and two other men were free diving off a private boat at about 10 p.m. when he did not resurface, according to the report. Read On The Fox News App The group immediately contacted authorities, and a search effort began. Florida Beachgoers Report Mysterious Sticky Substance Washing Ashore On Dec. 5, the Long Beach Police Department ended recovery efforts, and Lees was presumed dead, according to the report. Officials at the time said low visibility, just two or three feet, contributed to the difficulty of the search. Los Angeles Issues Only 4 Permits To Rebuild Homes After Devastating Palisades Fire: Report The LAFD announced Saturday Lees' body was recovered "from the waters off Long Beach." The LA County Medical Examiner lists Lees' place of death as Ocean Pier but has not yet released the cause. "We stand united in grief alongside FF Lee's family, friends & colleagues," the fire department wrote in a post on X. "We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him." The department shared a photo of artwork depicting Lees next to a fire truck along with the announcement. Former LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said in December that Lees worked for the department for six years, according to FOX 11. The LAFD told Fox News Digital that since Lees died while off duty, his family would be making funeral article source: Missing Los Angeles firefighter's body found by divers off California coast
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The body of missing LAFD firefighter Connor J. Lees has been found
The body of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter Connor J. Lees has been found nearly four months after the 29-year-old went missing during a recreational dive, the LAFD has announced. Long Beach police recovered Lees' remains Friday off the coast of Long Beach, the fire department said in a statement Saturday. 'The LAFD stands united in grief alongside Firefighter Lees' family, friends, and colleagues,' the department said. 'We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him.' Lees, a six-year veteran of the department assigned to Fire Station 94 in Baldwin Hills, went missing Dec. 4 while diving near Pier J in Long Beach. The off-duty firefighter was part of a group of four men in their 20s who had set out that evening to free dive, which involves swimming underwater without breathing apparatus or scuba tanks. Lees was one of three divers who plunged into the water while the fourth man drove the boat, the Long Beach fire department said at the time. When only two of the men resurfaced, the group called 911. Read more: LAFD's failure to pre-deploy before Palisades fire: A Times investigation Rescue divers from the Long Beach and L.A. city and county fire departments and personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Police and Los Angeles Port Police embarked on a search immediately. Two days later, emergency personnel announced that the search and rescue effort had become a recovery mission, based on water conditions and the low likelihood that the diver had survived. 'As we look to the sea ... we are assured that he is where he always wanted to be,' Lees' friends and family wrote on a GoFundMe page set up after his disappearance. 'He loved the water and everything it brings to our lives. It shaped him into the boy, the son, the brother, the friend, the athlete, the surfer, the explorer, the firefighter, the companion, and the man he became. In his time, Connor will tell us how he and the sea forever remain connected.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
30-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
The body of missing LAFD firefighter Connor J. Lees has been found
The body of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter Connor J. Lees has been found nearly four months after the 29-year-old went missing during a recreational dive, the LAFD has announced. Long Beach police recovered Lees' remains Friday off the coast of Long Beach, the fire department said in a statement Saturday. 'The LAFD stands united in grief alongside Firefighter Lees' family, friends, and colleagues,' the department said. 'We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him.' Lees, a six-year veteran of the department assigned to Fire Station 94 in Baldwin Hills, went missing Dec. 4 while diving near Pier J in Long Beach. The off-duty firefighter was part of a group of four men in their 20s who had set out that evening to free dive, which involves swimming underwater without breathing apparatus or scuba tanks. Lees was one of three divers who plunged into the water while the fourth man drove the boat, the Long Beach fire department said at the time. When only two of the men resurfaced, the group called 911. Rescue divers from the Long Beach and L.A. city and county fire departments and personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Police and Los Angeles Port Police embarked on a search immediately. Two days later, emergency personnel announced that the search and rescue effort had become a recovery mission, based on water conditions and the low likelihood that the diver had survived. 'As we look to the sea ... we are assured that he is where he always wanted to be,' Lees' friends and family wrote on a GoFundMe page set up after his disappearance. 'He loved the water and everything it brings to our lives. It shaped him into the boy, the son, the brother, the friend, the athlete, the surfer, the explorer, the firefighter, the companion, and the man he became. In his time, Connor will tell us how he and the sea forever remain connected.'
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Body of missing L.A. firefighter found off Long Beach waters
The body of a missing Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter who went missing at sea while diving over three months ago has been recovered. On Saturday, LAFD announced the body of Connor J. Lees, 29, was found in the waters off Long Beach on March 26. On Dec. 4, 2024, Lees, who was off duty, went free diving with three other men in the Port of Long Beach off Pier J. Free diving involves holding one's breath for as long as they can while diving without scuba gear. The men called for emergency help just before 10 p.m. when Lees did not return to their boat, launching a multi-agency search with divers from the U.S. Coast Guard, LAFD, L.A. County Fire, Long Beach Police and the L.A. Port Police. More than 19 hours after the search began, officials made the decision to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery mission. 'The decision to transition operations to a recovery mission is not taken lightly,' LBFD said in an Instagram post on Dec. 5, 2024. 'As we make this transition, our thoughts and prayers continue for the family of the missing diver and for our brothers and sisters at the Los Angeles City Fire Department.' Officials told The Times that investigators did not suspect foul play and that Lees was believed to be lost at sea. A candlelight vigil was held at Seal Beach on Dec. 22, 2024, where family, friends and colleagues gathered to honor Lees in his hometown. On March 26, LAFD confirmed Long Beach police had recovered his body from the ocean waters. Lees had worked with LAFD for six years and served at Fire Station 94 B Platoon in the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw community. 'The LAFD stands united in grief alongside Firefighter Lees' family, friends, and colleagues. We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him, LAFD officials said Saturday. 'We would also like to express our profound gratitude to the Long Beach Police Department and the Long Beach Fire Department for their unwavering dedication and support throughout the search and recovery efforts. Their professionalism, determination, and compassion have brought solace to our department and to Firefighter Lees' loved ones during this difficult time.' A GoFundMe page to support Lees' family can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
