Protests – how far is too far? | BTN High

We find out about South Australia’s controversial changes to laws aimed at giving bigger penalties to disruptive protesters.

BTN High covers the big topics in the news for high school students across different year levels and subject areas. BTN High gives students a voice in the news, enabling them to talk about topics they care about, share their experiences, and learn more about what's going on around them.

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[josiessaqua]

the right to protest is the right to democracy. especially now that labour and liberal are functionally the same, people need the power to defend their rights and advocate for change.

[tezismith]

"protests shouldn't be disruptive"
and folks wonder why union membership is in decline... unions are disruptive, that's their entire reason for existing! so incredibly sad but predictable that a labor government would go down this path.

[infernalstan]

Sounds like standing anywhere in public to peacefully protest is out then, cos you'd always technically be obstructing anyone who wanted to walk exactly where you're standing...

[XtomJamesExtra]

Here's the problem with these changes and statements like "Protests are welcome but they must be done in a way that is conscious of the rights of other people in our community". The purpose of a protest is to get the attention of the people at large, and the only real way to do it is to disrupt the general flow. If you outlaw disruption, you outlaw protest.

[FitzroySymisterArt]

Protesting helped Indigenous Australians to gain recognition and be counted as a part of the wider Australian society. Unbelievable, can you imagine? After all, it was their land that was invaded by those colonialist Europeans.

[brianedwards]

When a resource company has the premier's brother on their team it's easy to get legislation rushed through in the dead of night.

[Hexagonius-jstl]

Really depends on the situation, in some situations disruption is necessary, and maybe even violence in oppressive regimes, but in regular cases protestor should try more civil methods to get their message across.

Although that said the new laws in SA are overly harsh.

[joshsmyth]

Protests are supposed to be disruptive, if they aren't what'd the point, they can be ignored

[zoltan]

A protest doesn't have to be disruptive and should be out of site, not like there's an existential emergency going on. This report was weak and dumbed down .

[PhillipOhren]

Let them demonstrate however THEY want to. That’s the point.

If democracy was working then there’d be no protest….

Simples.

[anthonyjames]

With true protest there's no such thing.

[XtomJamesExtra]

Hanging from a bridge isn't crossing the line. Now had they firebombed the bridge then yes, Australia's idea of what is "over the top" and "over the line" is defeatest to the purpose of protesting.

[grandmothergoose]

One could argue that terrorist attacks are a form of protest, but no one in their right mind would consider it an acceptable form of protest. There is definitely a line to be drawn.

I think marching or gathering in a public place and making some noise and a bit of a scene is fine. A march can block a street for a bit, but it eventually moves on and there's always another road to take to get around them. A gathering in say a park or other public place that doesn't physically blockade anyone from getting somewhere is also fine.

Blockades are fine on strict conditions that 1. emergency personnel and emergency vehicles can get through without any obstruction, and 2. the blockade is highly targeted (eg: blockading the entryway to a company site in protest of that company's activities is perfectly fine, but blockading a public street, bridge or highway is pointless unless the protest is specifically about that particular road, bridge or highway).

Vandalism and damage to property, violence of any kind, and anything that can cause physical harm to anyone including the protesters themselves, and blockading people that have nothing to do with and no say in the situation is going too far, and going too far only serves to turn members of the community against the protesters rather than draw support for them. I think that's where the line needs to be drawn.

[mrterabyte]

Is that a flashing red right turn arrow as the middle lamp on the traffic signal lantern?

[Ausf]

Most protests achieve nothing, especially when it's only a handful of extremists, regardless of how disruptive they are. Where protests can't be ignored is when large numbers, or essential workers are involved.

[brianedwards]

The Summary Offences Act is a bad cop's best friend.

[sheavague]

Protest is a broad term. Crypto and cash are probably best form of protest against government.

[TheOmegatron]

Great to see climate, protesting and civil disobedience getting plenty of air time recently (due to the courageous actions from XR and the repression from the state).
My issue with this story is the continued referencing to people's "views" and "opinions", when it comes to climate, there is empirical evidence, it's not a matter of views.
The disruption caused by blocking a road is nothing compared to what is coming if we don't act on climate

[elisam.r.]

Personally, I think that fine increase is going way too far. Simply doubling it would have been fine. (That said, I have mixed feelings about protest because I got caught in the middle of one that turned violent.)

[rmf]

Australia has been losing his democracy for years.. starting with the guns that it went downhill