
Protest in a time of pandemic
Protest in a time of pandemic
Exploring the tension between the COVID-19 Public Health Order and the right to protest.
During the pandemic, there has been an intensified policing of protest both on and off campus, whether this relates to Black Lives Matters or student fees.
Our panel of experts will explore the human rights, health and legal aspects of recent protest events in Australia and the appropriate scope of police power. They’ll address a range of issues, including:
- Is there a right to protest during a pandemic?
- What are the health risks of protest during a pandemic?
- What are the limits to freedom of expression under the current PHO?
- Is there space during a pandemic for peaceful resistance to legal limits?
- How can we express grievances during a pandemic and what channels are available to students and staff given the current reforms to higher education?
- What does this mean for social justice?
The speakers
- Associate Professor Elizabeth Hill – Political Economy, University of Sydney
- Associate Professor Anna Boucher – Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
- Felicity Graham – Barrister in Commissioner of Police v Taylah Gray
- Taylah Gray – Activist at University of Newcastle and respondent in the case Commissioner of Police v Taylah Gray
- Professor Roger Magnusson – Health Law and Governance, Associate Dean Student Life, Sydney Law School.
- Professor Simon Rice – Kim Santow Chair of Law and Social Justice, University of Sydney
- Georgia Carr – PhD candidate in linguistics, University of Sydney
Chair: Professor Danielle Celermajer – Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney
Webinar, Friday 13 November, 11am – 12.30pm
This event is hosted by School of Social and Political Sciences, Sydney Law School, Sydney Institute of Criminology, and Sydney Health Law.
IMAGE: Leetona Dungay, mother of Aboriginal man David Dungay who died in the police custody, shown protesting. Photo taken by Aman Kapoor .