In 1981, the Minister for Local Government Russ Hinze introduced the Queen Street Mall Act 1981, which was an attack on free speech in order that the Main Street of Brisbane could have unfettered shopping day and night. Musak rang down Queen Street where trams, buses, and cars once were. A ‘mall campaign’ for democratic rights was conducted by various groups, including the Democratic Rights Organisation (DRO).
Even though Labor introduced the Peaceful Assembly Act in 1992, it was to take another 30 years for the ALP government to acknowledge women’s right to chose by decriminalising abortion.
“At a protest in the Queen St Mall on April 30 1993, a reporter from radio 4ZZZ was arrested while questioning police on why they were harassing people selling the Socialist newspaper.” – GLW
Protest in the mall remains a contentious issue with council imposing fines on organisers of political demonstrations.
The ALP in government started attacking unionists protesting Israel’s genocide in Palestine on May Day 2024.
Ironically there was no repeat of this at the Labour Day celebrations in Brisbane in 2025.
Police arresting a Union member protesting in support of Palestine
Image: CCTV footage of Jonathan Sriranganathan (then Councillor for the Gabba Ward) in a protest in the Queens Street Mall in Sept 2021 demonstrating against the rollout of the then federal Liberal government’s cashless welfare card.
Ian Curr, 16 May 2025