Proposed ban on protest outside places of worship could prevent Town Hall rallies, Sydney mayor warns

People attend a vigil outside Sydney’s Town Hall in October last year. The organisers, Palestine Action Group, invited people of all faiths to ‘unite in solidarity in our call for justice and solidarity’. Photograph: Roni Bintang/Getty Images

Sydney’s mayor has warned that new laws proposed by the New South Wales government would give police powers to block peaceful protests at Town Hall – a regular site for demonstrations in the city.

The laws, introduced to parliament on Tuesday and carrying a maximum of two years in prison, are the first tranche of measures aimed at stemming antisemitism after a series of arson attacks and graffiti on synagogues and in Sydney’s suburban streets in recent months.