Controversial anti-protesting bill being proposed in SA parliament
Protesters in could face $50,000 in fines or three months jail under proposed changes to the state's protest laws. The new measure's were rushed through SA's lower house last week in response to disruptive protests that blocked off a major road. The proposed changes, which have been brought forward by the state Labor government and backed by the opposition, will go before the legislative council this week. Protesters who obstruct a public space could cop a $50,000 fine under the changes, which is a significant hike from the previous $750 fine in place under the law. Activists could alternatively receive a three-month prison sentence, whereas before there was no jail sentence for obstructing a public space. The anti-protesting bill has resulted in fierce backlash, with about 500 people taking to the streets to rally against the changes last Friday. Protesters gathered outside Parliament House before marching down King William Street - Adelaide's primary thoroughfare. The South Australian Greens have indicated that they will strongly oppose the bill. Greens MP Robert Simms told the : 'The government should be sending this bill to the bin, not the Upper House, but if they are going to proceed with it then we will try to make some amendments.' Mr Simms described the proposed changes as 'deeply flawed' and said he would move to add a clause so the bill expires in 12 months time. About 80 human rights and advocacy groups have signed a letter calling on the Malinauskas government to scrap the bill. One of the groups, Amnesty International, released a statement condemning the amendments. 'The anti-protest Bill rushed through South Australias Lower House will unfairly restrict our democratic right to protest if it becomes law,' it read. 'The simple act of gathering on a footpath to stand up for our rights could incur thousands of dollars in fines.' 'This Bill follows increasing repression of the right to protest in Australia in recent years,' the organisation added before citing other states that have recently introduced anti-protest laws including NSW, Tasmania and Victoria. The Human Rights Law Centre also slammed the new laws in a press release. 'If passed, the (anti-protest) laws would undermine the ability of everyone in SA to exercise their freedom to peaceful protest,' the group said in a statement. Strict anti-protest laws were introduced in NSW last year. People who illegally protest on public roads, railway lines and tunnels could cop a $22,000 fine and/or be imprisoned for up to two years. In Victoria, the Andrews government passed harsher penalties that targeted environmental activists protesting at logging sites in August of last year. Those who obstruct timber harvesting operations could face a $21,000 fine or 12 months in prison under the measures.