Three people were arrested in central Sydney on Sunday evening after hundreds of protesters defied a New South Wales police ban on public demonstrations to condemn the United States’ military intervention in Venezuela, an action that has triggered widespread protests across Australia and intensified debate over free speech, public order and new hate speech laws.
About 300 demonstrators gathered on Sydney’s streets despite a police prohibition imposed in late December under newly strengthened public order laws. The ban followed a suspected terrorist attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people and injured dozens during a Hanukah event, prompting the state government to grant police sweeping powers to restrict public assemblies deemed a security risk.
Among those arrested was a 53-year-old woman alleged by police to have been wearing clothing displaying “offensive messaging”. Footage shared with Guardian Australia showed the woman wearing a jacket with the phrase “globalise the intifada” taped across the back while engaged in discussion with several police officers. A witness at the protest confirmed she was taken into custody after refusing to remove the jacket or leave the area.
Video of the incident captured a bystander asking, apparently in reference to the arrest, “Is it because of what’s written on her shirt?” Moments later, police officers were seen escorting the woman away, holding her arm, alongside three other officers.
Two men, aged 26 and 34, were also arrested during the protest for alleged breaches of the peace. All three were taken to Day Street police station and released without charge once the demonstration concluded, according to NSW police.
The protest took place on George Street at about 6pm, where police said approximately 250 demonstrators gathered alongside around 40 counter-protesters. Authorities described the event as an “unauthorised protest” under existing laws, which allow the police commissioner to issue a “public assembly restriction declaration” following a suspected terrorist incident.
Under these laws, protests and marches can be prevented from being authorised by police or the courts. Participants in unauthorised demonstrations can face prosecution if they obstruct traffic or people in a public place, even if the protest itself is peaceful.
The arrest of the woman wearing the “globalise the intifada” jacket comes amid an ongoing NSW parliamentary inquiry examining whether certain phrases should be explicitly banned under proposed new hate speech laws. The inquiry is considering prohibitions on slogans deemed to constitute “hateful statements” before legislation is put to a vote later this year.
In the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, NSW Premier Chris Minns singled out the phrase “globalise the intifada”, describing it as “hateful, violent rhetoric” that his government intended to outlaw. While immediate legislative changes were deferred, Minns asked the parliamentary committee to investigate whether such language should be prohibited under existing or amended laws.
Addressing the media on December 20, Minns warned that anyone using the slogan ahead of the reforms should “think again”.
“We’ve got strong advice indicating that phrase … is already in breach of hate speech laws in NSW,” he said. “This legislation will put it beyond a shadow of a doubt … Police aren’t mucking around now.”
Civil liberties groups and protest organisers have criticised the arrests, arguing that the enforcement of the protest ban and the targeting of specific slogans amount to an erosion of free expression. Police, however, maintain they are acting within the law to ensure public safety in a heightened security environment.
Sunday’s demonstration in Sydney was part of a wave of protests across Australian cities condemning the US intervention in Venezuela. Anger flared after reports that US forces had forcibly removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and following statements by former US president Donald Trump claiming the United States would assume direct control of Venezuela and its vast oil reserves.
In Sydney, protesters waved placards reading “Hands off Venezuela” and “Down with imperialism”, chanting slogans against US foreign policy and accusing Washington of pursuing regime change for economic gain.
A smaller group of counter-protesters, described by police as numbering around 40, expressed support for Venezuela’s opposition and welcomed the US intervention. Draped in red, blue and yellow—the colours of the Venezuelan flag—they held up images released by the US administration showing Maduro with the word “captured” superimposed across his face.
One of the men arrested in Sydney was later identified by rightwing agitator Drew Pavlou, who claimed on social media that he had been taken into custody while chanting pro-US slogans amid the crowd. Pavlou circulated footage showing him being led away by a large police presence, accusing authorities of suppressing political speech.
Meanwhile, in Melbourne, about 200 people gathered on the steps of Flinders Street Station in a separate protest against the US action. The crowd erupted in shouts of “shame” as speakers accused Washington of kidnapping the Venezuelan president and violating the country’s sovereignty.
Protesters displayed banners reading “Release Maduro now! No regime change!” and “No war for oil! Solidarity with the people of Venezuela”. Speakers challenged allegations that Maduro had rigged elections or was linked to drug trafficking, dismissing such claims as propaganda designed to justify foreign intervention.
“One speaker told the crowd that Maduro had been systematically demonised,” organisers said, adding that accusations against him were being used to “soften ordinary people to the idea of regime change in Venezuela”.
“The narrative we’re being fed is the clearest-cut case of outright propaganda,” the speaker said. “Its main role is to make regime change seem acceptable.”
Protesters in Melbourne said they stood with Venezuelans defending their sovereignty and called on the Australian government to cut ties with, and impose sanctions on, the US administration over its actions. Victoria police said there were no reported incidents at the Melbourne event.
Australia is home to a sizeable Venezuelan diaspora. According to the 2021 census, more than 6,600 Venezuelan-born residents live in Australia, with around 10,000 people identifying as having Venezuelan ancestry. Community leaders say the US intervention has stirred complex and often painful emotions within the diaspora.
The Venezuelan Association of Australia said many Venezuelans in the country had lived through forced separation from family members, exile and the long-term effects of authoritarian rule, making the current crisis deeply personal.
“In moments like this, our shared hope remains for a free, democratic and united Venezuela where people can live with dignity, safety and opportunity,” the association said in a statement.
At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged restraint, calling on all parties to support dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation. His government said it was closely monitoring developments in Venezuela and engaging with international partners to assess the implications of the US intervention.
As protests continue and scrutiny of NSW’s protest and hate speech laws intensifies, Sunday’s arrests in Sydney are likely to fuel further debate over the balance between security, political expression and the right to protest in Australia—particularly at a time of heightened global tensions and domestic anxiety over public safety.
