Controversial Gun and Protest Laws Proposed in Australia After Bondi Shootings

Mon Dec 22 2025 17:54:04 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to the recent Bondi shootings, New South Wales considers new laws limiting gun ownership and regulating protests, provoking backlash from civil rights advocates.

Following the tragic Bondi shootings, the New South Wales (NSW) government is pushing for legislation to limit gun ownership and tighten protest regulations. While NSW Premier Chris Minns insists the changes are necessary for public safety, numerous civil rights groups and pro-gun advocates argue these laws unfairly target law-abiding citizens and threaten democratic freedoms. Key features of the proposal include a cap on the number of firearms one can own and enhanced police powers to control protests. Critics assert that these measures may fuel further division instead of fostering community safety and cohesion.

Civil rights groups and pro-gun advocates in Australia have raised concerns that new fast-tracked laws will place undue restrictions on firearms and protests in the wake of the Bondi shootings.

On Monday, the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) recalled its parliament to debate a raft of new laws such as banning the phrase globalise the intifada, limiting the number of guns one person can own, and greater police powers for protests.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said some may feel the changes had gone too far but they were needed to keep the community safe.

A pro-gun politician said the laws unfairly target law-abiding gun owners while civil libertarians said restrictions on protests were an affront to democracy.

On banning the intifada phrase, Minns said its use at protests in Australia and around the world are a call to a global intifada. That is what it means. Not in the Middle East, not in Israel or Gaza but here in Sydney.

In the aftermath of the Bondi attacks, which resulted in the death of 15 individuals, the document shows that the Jewish community accused the government of insufficient actions to protect them from rising antisemitism.

The new protest laws will also allow police to restrict demonstrations at places of worship, with stronger penalties for breaches. Timothy Roberts, president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, commented that the new law ignores a recent supreme court decision regarding freedom of political communication.

On gun reform, the new laws will mean licence holders in NSW cannot own more than four firearms, with exceptions for farmers and sport shooters who can have up to ten. The move follows similar laws introduced in Western Australia earlier this year.

Walter Mikac, a survivor of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in 1996, welcomed the reforms, stating they will close critical gaps in our gun laws and prioritize community safety. However, others claim that the proposed measures may exacerbate divisions within society rather than unify it.

Palestine Action Group spokesperson Josh Lees expressed concerns that these legislative changes challenge Australia’s standing as a nation that values freedom of speech.