australia
What type of protests are currently allowed in NSW, Australia?
<p>Australia was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/25/covid-sydney-police-punish-anti-lockdown-protesters" rel="nofollow noreferrer">recently in the news</a> for restricting the right to protest during a surge in COVID cases:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Hundreds of fines have been issued and dozens charged in Sydney after
anti-lockdown protesters marched and clashed with police in what one
deputy commissioner called “violent, filthy, risky behaviour”.</p>
<p>The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said on Sunday the
previous day’s protests – in which thousands breached the region’s
coronavirus measures to protest – were “selfish and self-defeating”,
adding: “It achieves no purpose. It won’t end the lockdown sooner.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What type of protests <em>are</em> currently legal in NSW? From smallest to biggest:</p>
<ol>
<li>Posting &quot;I disagree with lockdowns&quot; on Facebook (virtual protest)</li>
<li>Starting a video stream from home protesting the lockdowns</li>
<li>Hanging a &quot;I disagree with lockdowns&quot; poster on your balcony</li>
<li>Wearing a protest shirt outside your house, within the 5km travel boundary</li>
<li>Standing outside alone, with a mask, holding a protest sign, while within the 5km boundary</li>
<li>Gathering in a group of people, everyone masked up, 6 feet away, and only traveling within a 5km radius from ones home</li>
</ol>
<p>The article seems to imply that <em>all</em> forms of protesting are now illegal, is this interpretation correct? Or did they only get penalized for violating the 5km rule and not wearing masks?</p>

<p>The main restrictions that affect protests are set out in the <a href="https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/information/covid19-legislation/temporary-movement-gathering-restrictions" rel="noreferrer"><em>Public Health (COVID-19 Additional Restrictions for Delta Outbreak) Order 2021</em> (NSW)</a>.  Clause 20 of that order requires &quot;affected persons&quot; (basically everyone in Sydney and lockdown areas in regional NSW) to not leave their homes other than for permitted reasons.</p>
<p>The 5-10 km boundary applies to prohibit people from travelling outside the boundary for outdoor exercise or obtaining goods and services (both permitted reasons to leave home).</p>
<p>So in relation to the scenarios listed, if conducted in Sydney or other lockdown areas:</p>
<ul>
<li>1-3 would not be prohibited</li>
<li>4 would be prohibited if &quot;outside your house&quot; is outside your place of residence, as protesting is not a permitted reason</li>
<li>5 and 6 would be prohibited as protesting is not a permitted reason</li>
</ul>
