Australia Court Rules Against Refugee Rights Rally on Virus Fear

(Bloomberg) -- The Supreme Court in Australia’s New South Wales state has ruled against a rally in support of refugee rights on Saturday amid concerns the gathering could undermine efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Justice Michael Walton ruled in favor of police, saying the risks of Covid-19 remained despite low community transmission rates, according to the report. Hundreds of people were expected to gather in Sydney for the protest organized by the Refugee Action Coalition, and there are concerns that protesters may ignore the court order, according to the report.

Separately, groups linked to last weekend’s Black Lives Matter march said they would rally outside Sydney’s Town Hall on Friday evening, despite not submitting required paperwork for the protest, the broadcaster reported.

Health officials and leaders in Australia, the U.S. and U.K. have warned that mass gatherings in support of racial equality risk inadvertently re-sparking the virus. A protester who attended a Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne last weekend has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state authorities, and officials are conducting tracing to ensure any close contacts are tested.

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