Government of Western Australia moves to expand police powers over protests and hate symbols after summer threats

The Government of Western Australia says it will introduce new legislation this week to strengthen police powers over protest permits and tackle hate-fuelled intimidation, citing “multiple threats across Australia” and the alleged attempted bombing at an Invasion Day rally in Perth as key drivers.

Premier Roger Cook announced the Public Order Legislation Amendment Bill after what he described as a summer marked by serious security concerns, including the alleged attempted attack on a crowd of peaceful protesters at Forrest Place on 26 January. The proposed changes would allow police to refuse a permit for demonstrations if an event is likely to promote hate based on “religion, race, disability, gender, sexuality or ethnicity”.

Cook argued the reforms are aimed at protecting the community without shutting down peaceful dissent. “I want to emphasise that the right to protest is fundamental and peaceful assemblies will continue to be supported to make sure that people can protect their freedom of speech” he said. “What is being targeted by these laws today is behaviour that crosses the line into violence, harassment or intimidation.”

Under the reforms outlined by the government, WA would also extend its ban on displaying Nazi symbols to cover symbols of groups outlawed under Commonwealth legislation, including flags associated with terrorist organisations. The measures would apply to juveniles, and the bill would introduce a ban on face coverings worn in public “to intimidate or cause apprehension in others”, with exemptions for health, occupational safety, religious, cultural or artistic reasons.

Police Minister Reece Whitby said the alleged attempted bombing at the Invasion Day rally “sums up what this law is all about”, framing the changes as both a safety response and a statement about protecting lawful assembly.

However, the announcement has drawn immediate criticism from civil liberties voices and the WA Greens, who warn the reforms risk giving police too much discretion over democratic rights. Greens MP Sophie McNeill said the party was “deeply concerned” the proposal could hand police “the power to decide who has the right to protest”. “We’re really worried that there is no oversight to this, no independent scrutiny” she said. “These are our most basic, fundamental democratic rights.”

The bill arrives amid wider national debate about protest restrictions, with advocates warning that laws framed around public order can expand quickly after major security incidents. For First Nations communities, the proposed changes also sit in the shadow of heightened concern about racism and safety following the alleged Perth attack, and questions about how authorities respond to threats directed at Aboriginal-led public gatherings.