New South Wales has passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, introducing what the government calls Australia’s toughest gun controls and new limits on protests and certain speech after the Bondi Beach mass shooting that killed 15 people. The law allows police to restrict public assemblies for up to three months after a terrorism declaration and bans public displays tied to prohibited organisations. Three advocacy groups have announced a constitutional challenge, while federal and UN figures have warned against overreach. The government also plans honours for those who intervened during the attack.
NSW Approves Sweeping Anti‑Protest Measures and Australia’s Toughest Gun Laws After Bondi Beach Mass Shooting
Australian police on patrol on December 15, 2025 following a mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach [Mark Baker/AP]
New South Wales (NSW) has passed a package of emergency measures that introduce what the government calls the state's toughest gun controls and wide-ranging limits on protest and certain public speech, following the Bondi Beach mass shooting that left 15 people dead.
Key Elements of the New Laws
The centerpiece is the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. It grants police the power to ban or restrict public assemblies for up to three months after a formal terrorism declaration in designated areas and prohibits public displays of symbols linked to organisations classified as prohibited.
The NSW government said that, once a declaration is made, "no public assemblies can be authorised in designated areas, including by a court," and police will be able to move people on if their behaviour or presence "obstructs traffic or causes fear, harassment or intimidation."
Speech and Protest Restrictions
Premier Chris Minns and other senior officials said the reforms include a review of what the government describes as "hate speech." The government specifically cited the phrase "globalise the Intifada" as an example of language it may seek to restrict; that phrase is commonly used in some pro‑Palestinian campaigns and solidarity movements dating back decades.
Minns acknowledged the measures were "very significant changes that not everyone will agree with," but argued they were needed in response to what he described as the "horrific anti‑Semitic attack on Bondi Beach." He also said tighter firearms rules — including restrictions limiting certain weapons to licensed agricultural users — would help "calm a combustible situation."
Legal Challenge and Political Context
Before the final parliamentary vote, three NSW-based advocacy groups — Palestine Action Group Sydney, Indigenous organisation Blak Caucus, and Jews Against the Occupation ’48 — announced plans to mount a constitutional challenge to the anti‑protest measures, calling them "draconian" and arguing they would unduly curb peaceful dissent and criticism of foreign policy.
The legislation follows months of large public demonstrations in Sydney, including a protest in which more than 100,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge against Israel's military campaign in Gaza — a campaign some critics have described as "genocidal." Earlier this year, Australia joined more than 145 other UN member states in recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, a move criticised by Israeli officials.
Domestic and International Reactions
Within hours of the Bondi attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly linked the shooting to Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood. That comment drew rebuke from observers including UN special rapporteur Ben Saul — who also holds an international law chair at the University of Sydney — who warned against overreach: "Overreach does not make us safer — it lets terror win."
At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he intends to create a special honours list to recognise people who intervened during the attack. The ABC reported those likely to be honoured include Australian‑Syrian shop owner Ahmed al‑Ahmed and local couple Boris and Sofia Gurman, who tried to stop the attackers and were among those killed.
The coverage has also highlighted another Muslim man who ran to help but was initially restrained by bystanders who mistakenly thought he was involved. His lawyer, Alisson Battisson, said the unnamed man is a refugee who now faces possible deportation because of a past criminal conviction despite trying to help during the attack.
UN and legal experts caution: Authorities and lawmakers have been urged to balance public safety with fundamental rights, and several organisations are preparing legal challenges to test the new restrictions in court.
