The Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee (QPLC) has been renewing its focus on the right to protest. In the coming weeks, The QPLC hope to release a Watching Brief on this critical issue.
As part of this process, Quakers discovered the “Declaration of Our Right to Protest,” released two years ago by the Human Rights Law Centre and the Australian Democracy Network. Over 120 organisations have joined the call to uphold this fundamental right.”
The Declaration is based the principle that “every person has the right to have their voice heard, no matter the bank balance or political connection. But the right to protest in Australia is under significant and sustained attacks by governments and increasingly, the fossil fuel industry.
The Human Rights Law Centre is thus “calling for governments across Australia to better protect protest rights, by releasing the “Declaration of Our Right to Protest”. The Declaration is grounded in human rights law, asserts the fundamental right to protest and offers ten practical steps to safeguard the right from further erosion.”
Presiding Clerk, Bruce Henry, has now signed the declaration on behalf of QPLC, affirming Quakers’ commitment to defending the right to peaceful protest.
Here are links to the full Declaration: https://australiandemocracy.org.au/protest-rights-declaration and https://www.hrlc.org.au/reports-news-commentary/protest-declaration.