Latest news with #peacefulProtest
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Suhakam questions arrest of Egyptian student over peaceful pro-Gaza protest in KL
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today expressed concern over the arrest of an Egyptian university student who allegedly participated in a peaceful protest outside his country's embassy here. Suhakam said it does not condone vandalism, but any non-violent and conscientious expression of opinion should be addressed proportionately and in line with human rights principles. 'Nonetheless, Suhakam remains concerned that the arrest took place in the first place, given that the act in question was peaceful and falls within the scope of protected expression,' it said in a media statement. The commission said it had received confirmation from the Home Ministry and police that the student, Marwan Mohamed Magdi Osman Ahmed, has been released from custody and that no deportation has taken place. It added that this outcome was a positive development and in line with Malaysia's obligations under international human rights law, including the principle of non-refoulement. 'Malaysia must ensure that its legal processes and enforcement mechanisms are not influenced by external pressures in ways that compromise these rights,' it added. Marwan was arrested on Tuesday after police said he wrote protest slogans on the walls of the Egyptian embassy calling for the Rafah crossing into Gaza to be opened. Local news portal Free Malaysia Today previously reported the embassy filed a police report accusing Marwan of 'grand treason', prompting an investigation for mischief. Turkish NGO Justice for Human Rights had earlier urged Malaysia to stop deportation proceedings, citing Egypt's poor human rights record and repeated violations against peaceful demonstrators.
RNZ News
03-08-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Sydney pro-Palestinian protest organisers deny police fears of 'perilous situation' on harbour bridge
By Paulina Vidal and Luke Royes , ABC News Amal Naser says police wasted time going to court instead of planning for the march. Photo: ABC News / Jack Fisher A safe end to the pro-Palestinian protest in which an estimated 90,000 people crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge has not allayed concerns about separate mass demonstrations across the world-famous landmark, senior NSW Police say. The number of protesters that attended Sunday's March for Humanity from the CBD to North Sydney, calling for an end to the war in Gaza, far exceeded what organisers had submitted in their forms to gain approval. Palestine Action Group's organiser, Joshua Lees, said there were "no plans" for another pro-Palestine protest over the bridge and took aim at NSW Premier Chris Minns's concerns last week it would cause chaos. "There was nothing of the sort, there was a beautiful, peaceful mass protest without any incidents," he said. Lees acknowledged the scale of the march was bigger than expected and the route needed to change to manage the crowd. "The protest was so big that yes we had to manage how people dispersed at the end but this was done in a very safe and happy way," he said. "Everyone left in a calm fashion, feeling proud of what they've done today, emboldened to keep fighting for Palestine, that's what today was." The potential for the bridge to be used for differing protests in the future though remains a safety concern for police. Organisers say weekly rallies will continue. Photo: ABC News / Jack Fisher As Sunday's event progressed, authorities feared there was a "real risk of crowd crush" as protesters gathered on the north side, creating a choke point. It was a safety risk raised by police in the lead-up to the event, along with the short timeframe for planning, that prompted them to seek a prohibition order. Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Johnson described the situation on the bridge as "intense", and one of the "most perilous" he has been involved in. "I can honestly say in my 35 years of policing, that was a perilous situation," Assistant Commissioner Johnson said at a press conference following the march. "I was honestly worried that we were going to have a major incident with potential loss of life." He said officers were overwhelmed and decisions had to be made on the run. One of the major changes put in place about 3pm stopped the march, with protesters told to stop where they were, turn around and walk back towards the CBD. It created confusion and frustration as people tried to move in both directions, but police have credited the move with averting a potential incident and ensuring people's safety. Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna said there were times when they were worried that both groups would come together. "We could not get those people, the number, the significant size of that crowd off that northern egress route without risking crowd crush," Acting Deputy Commissioner McKenna said. "We could not allow those numbers to then egress into the northern side." Pro-Palestine protest in Sydney, August 2025. Photo: ABC News / Jack Fisher He credits officers' hard work and the good behaviour of protesters for the fact no one was injured. "This operation, from our point of view, was a success in that no one was hurt, no police were hurt," McKenna said. "But gee whiz, I wouldn't like to try and do this every Sunday at that short notice." He reiterated what police had been saying, that "there's a reason we said we like to have time to plan for these protests". "I think going forward into the future, that has to be taken into consideration," he said. "Thankfully we've had an operation, whilst perilous at times, turned out that everyone has gone home safe." Johnson added that police were not anti-protests, saying they oversee more than 1500 a year, and had for a while been working with the organisers of Sunday's event. The Palestine Action Group has been regularly holding marches in the CBD for nearly two years. He said it was all about public safety. "Our whole issue today was never about the fact that they are protesting something that is so significant, and we understand it's significant in a lot of people's minds and hearts right around the world. "Quite clearly today showed us that we had to scramble … We had to really think about how we could get people safely out of that confined space and back into the city safely. "It came very close to us having almost a catastrophic situation." In response, Amal Naser, one of the organisers from the Palestine Action Group, called the senior officer's comments a "poor attempt" to "undermine the Supreme Court's decision". "The reality is that police had eight days to logistically prepare for this protest," Naser told the media a short time after the event. "They wasted their resources on going to court and trying to crush the right to protest. "It should be a reflection on them and not us that they spent one day in planning for this event." Naser called the march "successful" and a "monumental and historical moment in anti-war protest history". Lees said while the turnout had exceeded their expectations, weekly rallies would continue. "Today was unprecedented, and we thought that a bold step would inspire people to come out," Lees said. "Because they knew it would be such a powerful symbol and they were right." The Palestine Action Group is working towards a national day of action scheduled for 24 August. - ABC News
SBS Australia
02-08-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Police 'scrambling' as pro-Palestinian Sydney Harbour Bridge march gets green light
Police are "scrambling" to alert motorists about a pro-Palestinian march over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday after the event secured a tick of approval from NSW's highest court. Following the Supreme Court ruling on Saturday morning, NSW Police acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna urged those planning to take part to act safely and peacefully. He said the "whole gamut" of officers would be deployed to monitor the demonstration. "We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters. "Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action." Disruption 'in the nature of peaceful protests' Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a prohibition order sought by police over the planned protest, organised by the Palestine Action Group, which is expected to draw thousands. The application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner sought to prohibit the march on public safety grounds. However, Rigg said in her judgement that arguments it would cause disruption were not sufficient. "It is in the nature of peaceful protests to cause disruption to others," she said. Rigg noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. NSW Police took court action to categorise the march as unlawful and unauthorised, arguing that closing the bridge with less than a week's notice was unreasonable. A prohibition order would not have banned attendance at the protest, but would have meant participants would lack legal protection against offences like blocking roads or traffic. The Supreme Court decision means those attending Sunday's protest will be provided these legal rights. Outside court, Palestine Action Group Sydney spokesperson Josh Lees said: "This will go down, I think, as one of those moments in history when the people of the world and in our case, the people of Sydney and NSW, stood up to be on the right side of history." The group had called for a "march for humanity" over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in response to mounting evidence of "widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease" in Gaza, according to the United Nations. 'There to keep everyone safe' Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible. "Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said. "But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible." What happened in court? On Friday, NSW Police argued the force would not be able to create a safe environment for the rally and raised the possibility of a crowd crush. Lachlan Gyles SC, who represented NSW Police, told the court: "This is really unprecedented in terms of scale, the level of risk, the lack of time to prepare." He accused Lees of ignoring his duty of care to public safety. Under cross-examination, acting assistant police commissioner Adam Johnson raised the possibility of a crowd crush. "I'm personally concerned about that," he said. LISTEN TO "We (Palestine Action Group) want to work with them to facilitate a march over the bridge that is safe and peaceful," he said. Felicity Graham, the group's barrister, told the court it would be safer for police to authorise the protest, as people would march regardless of the decision. "A prohibition order may well increase the number of people who attend the protest, and exacerbate the potential for unrest and violence," she said. Outside the court, Lees said on Friday the group was open to delaying the rally. "We put forward a whole proposal for 24 August, we would have our march over the Sydney Harbour Bridge that would march identical routes to the World Pride March in 2023," he said. Graham also said that the growing support for the march, which includes members of parliament, organisations, and high-profile figures, should be considered. Rigg reserved her decision under Saturday morning. The bridge has previously been shut, including for a reconciliation rally in 2000, which attracted more than 250,000 people. — With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Grandmothers arrested at Palestine protest ‘robustly deny any criminal offence'
Two grandmothers arrested following a pro- Palestine protest in Belfast 'robustly deny they have committed any criminal offence'. Sue Pentel and Martine McCullough were arrested earlier this year by police investigating an incident of criminal damage at a Barclays Bank in the city. Ms Pentel, 72, was detained by officers along with Martine McCullough, aged in her 50s, on May 24 while protesting outside the bank in Castle Place over an incident at a previous protest at the bank on April 26. The two attended Musgrave Street police station in Belfast city centre on Wednesday morning for the pre-arranged interview under caution. Fellow campaigners staged a protest in solidarity with the women outside the station, with applause and calls of 'we're with you' as they arrived. Solicitor Padraig O Muirigh, who represents the two women, said they 'robustly deny that they have committed any criminal offence'. 'Our clients have been involved in peaceful protests against the ongoing genocide in Gaza which has been ongoing now for 628 days,' he said. 'Today's interviews under caution follow their arrests on the 24th May 2025. 'My clients robustly deny that they have committed any criminal offence and maintain that they should not be subjected to criminal investigations for exercising their right to peaceful protest against the atrocities being committed in Gaza.' He added: 'Our clients will robustly contest their innocence and defend their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights to freedom of assembly and expression if a decision is made to prosecute them.' Jewish grandmother Ms Pentel is a high-profile campaigner against Israel's military offensive on Gaza. Videos circulated online of the arrest of Ms Pentel indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on the bank's ATM machine. Barclays has been a target for pro-Palestine protesters who claim the bank is linked to companies supplying weapons to Israel. Barclays has previously addressed the criticism, saying it provides financial services to nine defence companies supplying Israel but does not directly invest in such firms. The bank has said it has become the target of a disinformation campaign over its ties to defence companies. Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Ms Pentel said they are 'proud to peacefully protest outside Barclays'. 'We've been doing it for the last eight months,' she said. 'To protest the genocide, to protest the violence, to protest the way that Israel feels its OK to starve children, to stop humanitarian aid while the world looks on. 'Well, we won't look on, we won't remain silent.' She added: 'We understand that we've been asked to be interviewed under caution, and we're voluntarily going in about an incident on April 26 and all we can say is we're proud to demonstrate with our amazing colleagues every week outside Barclays. 'We have the right to peacefully protest, we want to thank our solicitor Padraig O Muirigh for his time and advice. 'We have the right to peacefully protest and we will continue to do it until the genocide stops. 'We're two grandmothers, when our grandchildren ask us what we did, we know what we'll say, we stood up, we spoke out, we weren't silent, and as a Jewish person I am absolutely ashamed of anybody either Israeli Jewish or London Jewish or wherever who doesn't stand up and who thinks this is OK.'
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Grandmother arrested at pro-Palestine protest ‘proud to keep demonstrating'
A pensioner arrested at a pro-Palestine protest outside a Barclays bank in Belfast has said she is proud to keep demonstrating. Sue Pentel, 72, was detained by officers on suspicion of criminal damage, along with Martine McCullough, aged in her 50s, on May 24 while protesting outside the bank on Castle Place over an incident at a previous protest at the bank on April 26. The pair attended Musgrave Street police station in Belfast city centre on Wednesday for a pre-arranged interview under caution with officers. Fellow campaigners staged a protest in solidarity with the pair outside the station, with applause and calls of 'we're with you' as they arrived. Jewish grandmother Ms Pentel is a high-profile campaigner against Israel's military offensive on Gaza. Videos circulated online of the arrest of Ms Pentel indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on the bank's ATM machine. Barclays has been a target for pro-Palestine protesters who claim the bank is linked to companies supplying weapons to Israel. Barclays has previously addressed the criticism, saying it provides financial services to nine defence companies supplying Israel but does not directly invest in such firms. The bank has said it has become the target of a disinformation campaign over its ties to defence companies. Ms Pentel said they are 'proud to peacefully protest outside Barclays'. 'We've been doing it for the last eight months,' she said. 'To protest the genocide, to protest the violence, to protest the way that Israel feels its OK to starve children, to stop humanitarian aid while the world looks on. 'Well, we won't look on, we won't remain silent.' She added: 'We understand that we've been asked to be interviewed under caution, and we're voluntarily going in about an incident on April 26 and all we can say is we're proud to demonstrate with our amazing colleagues every week outside Barclays. 'We have the right to peacefully protest, we want to thank our solicitor Padraig O Muirigh for his time and advice. 'We have the right to peacefully protest and we will continue to do it until the genocide stops. 'We're two grandmothers, when our grandchildren ask us what we did, we know what we'll say, we stood up, we spoke out, we weren't silent, and as a Jewish person I am absolutely ashamed of anybody either Israeli Jewish or London Jewish or wherever who doesn't stand up and who thinks this is OK.'
