A sit-in demonstration for mass refugee rights will begin this weekend but not on the Story Bridge after a Supreme Court order suspended the operation in the name of public safety.
And organisers have provided a guide to demonstrators that includes carrying ‘clothes covering as much skin as possible (layer!), earplugs, umbrellas, goggles, hat or beanie, mask, hand sanitizer, basic first aid, any medication you may need to stay in the watchhouse overnight.
And they warned participants to be ready for arrest.
Justice Jean Dalton made a declaration on Thursday that if the demonstration were to go ahead on the bridge or Main St at Kangaroo Point it would conflict with the rights of the public.
She said there was a possibility of COVID-19 spreading the expected action and blocking major arterial roads.
Justice Dalton released an injunction ordering protestors Jarrah Kershaw, Laura Harland, Dane de Leon, as well as councillor Jonathan Sri from Brisbane to not attend the proposed sit-in demonstration or allow others to participate.
Part of the order stipulated that the organisers would post the statement on websites and Facebook pages by 5 pm on Thursday and that they would not be permitted to take part in the demonstration.
The Refugee Solidarity Brisbane / Meanjin Facebook group on Friday morning said they would not march on Saturday’s Story Bridge, but meet at Raymond Park, Kangaroo Point, instead.
“We WILL be gathering at Raymond Park at midday and marching for the freedom of people inhumanely locked up by the Australian government,” the post read.
“We WILL be voicing our anger at the indefinite detention of 120 of our friends and neighbours, and the efforts from the state to silence opposition to this injustice.
“We’ve faced the full force of a state trying desperately to silence dissent — some protesters have been raided during the middle of the night, others haven’t been home since last week, and the Attorney-General has used the court to get injunctions against several people forbidding them from going tomorrow.
“The state has become obsessed with stopping this protest from going ahead.”