New anti-protest laws in NSW could have serious implications for First Nations justice, warns Greens MLC David Shoebridge.
Final changes to the Roads and Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill passed through the NSW parliament on Friday with bipartisan support from Labor.
NSW Police Minister Paul Toole said unauthorised protests have no place in the state.
"These tighter laws and tougher penalties we're introducing prove we have zero tolerance for this selfish, disruptive and unruly behaviour," he said.
The government maintains these laws are in place to stop the disruption of major roads across NSW and would not effect the majority of protests.
But Mr Shoebridge said the laws would enable the government to pass regulations to extend it to any road in NSW, including those where annual rallies were hosted.
"That could be a road in front of Town Hall," he said.
"There is no question that these laws can and likely will be used to break up street protests for First Nations rights and First Nations justice, and will likely see organisers and participants facing potentially up to two years in jail.
"This is just another brutal tool that has been given to the police to criminalise and jail First Nations activists."
Mr Shoebridge moved an amendment to exclude protests or demonstrations for First Nations justice but was unsuccessful.
"Both the Labor party and the Coalition voted that down, and made it very clear that the intent of this law was to be able to criminalise such actions," he said.
"First Nations campaigners, activists, elders already know that discretionary police powers are disproportionately used against them and their community."
NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns discredited the amendment as a distraction from the legislation's purpose.
"That's a cynical attempt to move an amendment to completely gut the intention of the bill," he said.