Overview
- The NSW Court of Appeal unanimously issued a prohibition order on Thursday, finding the planned Hyde Park–to–Opera House march posed an "extreme" risk to public safety.
- Police evidence highlighted limited egress, a forecourt capacity of about 6,000, and likely security screening delays that could trigger crowd crush, with Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna calling the plan "disaster written all over it."
- Organisers estimated up to 40,000 attendees and proposed staggered arrivals and marshals, but the court ruled the mitigations were insufficient and declined to make any factual finding on genocide in the urgent hearing.
- The judgment clarifies that breaching a prohibition order can constitute contempt of court, a shift from earlier single‑judge views that only removed minor‑offence immunity, prompting rights‑group warnings about a chilling effect on future protests.
- Organisers say they have agreed an alternative route to Belmore Park that police will not contest, while officers will prevent access to the Opera House forecourt on Sunday.