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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-10-18 Daily Xml
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RUNDLE MALL

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (17:03): I rise today to talk about an issue that concerns visitors, tourists, residents and shopkeepers in Rundle Mall. The issue is the growing number of preachers and protest groups in the mall that are creating civil unrest and threatening public safety through their vocal and affronting demonstrations.

The unrest does not revolve around one particular group, there are several groups using the mall as a space to convey their religious or political ideology. Nobody denies a person's right to free speech, however, when such free speech becomes what I believe to be hate speech and offends innocent passers-by, the Labor government must act to protect the general public.

As the member for Adelaide, my electorate office has received a number of calls and emails from residents and visitors to the mall who are genuinely concerned for their safety when such protests and demonstrations are taking place. I would like to read a few of the emails that have been sent directly, so these are direct quotes:

I have nothing but respect for religion and people's right to free speech, but the Adelaide Street Church show no respect for anyone. Yesterday at around 5pm, they were in the Mall, by the Mall's Balls. I saw them harassing a pair of young girls who were walking with their arms linked. They were telling them that innocently walking arm-in-arm with a friend was 'the path to homosexuality and sin'. I thought this was beyond wrong, so I stepped between the 'preacher' and the girls and asked him calmly to back off, they were only little girls. He then proceeded to repeatedly call me a filthy dyke. As an openly gay woman, I find that incredibly offensive, but I know there are obnoxious people around, so I have developed a thick skin. When I didn't react and moved to walk away, he called after me 'Filthy dyke whores like you deserve to be raped'.

This is totally unacceptable in the Rundle Mall. I quote from another email sent to Rundle Mall Management Authority:

Hey Rundle Mall, just letting you know what the 'God preachers' screamed at me a week or two ago and I won't be coming back to the Mall again! I walked down Rundle Mall last week when they were there. I have cancer, so I have no hair. I was in a pretty good mood so I didn't have my wig on. They (the Preachers) screamed at me that I was going to die because I look like a boy, and that God doesn't want trannies...I AM FEMALE, I HAVE CANCER! But, no my reply wasn't that, instead it was tears on the one day that I had confidence to leave my house without a wig on...and this is what I got...I rarely leave the house now. PLEASE do something about the words they scream.

From the Myer Centre management, I quote:

We have become increasingly concerned over the activities of various interest groups in Rundle Mall over the past 10 months and the impact their activities are having on retail and Rundle Mall perceptions more broadly. It would seem that Rundle Mall is being hijacked by the disruptive activities of various interest groups, at the expense of the everyday community and businesses in the area.

The letter states further:

Myer Centre Retailers were forced to close their doors early in the evening, allegedly due to:

High noise levels...

Racist abuse hurled...

Retailers fear for...safety...

...we would expect that any persons breaking the law, including inciting violence or verbally abusing other people are brought to task. It would seem that the only avenue left open in order to address this issue and remove the risk of these emotive confrontations is a request to the State Government to step in, before someone is seriously hurt, or worse.

I also quote from another shop owner in the Myer Centre:

I understand there is an issue with this surrounding free speech, however, I don't believe Rundle Mall is the appropriate place for people to air views of a discriminatory or prejudiced nature. It is a shopping precinct and everyone should feel safe, comfortable and welcome shopping here. It is behaviour that certainly would not be tolerated in a Westfield or other such shopping centre that Rundle Mall competes with for customers.

Another phone call to my office was from a lady who was in Rundle Mall and was harassed by the street church group. She has been told that she hates God and God hates her. She has never experienced this sort of hate before and said she will not be coming to Rundle Mall again until this problem has been resolved.

I do not believe that any person, whether using the guise of preaching or protesting, has a right to be so offensive as to inhibit a person from entering a public place, namely Rundle Mall. This behaviour is unacceptable, and I call on the Labor government to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that this behaviour ceases. It is deeply offensive, unacceptable behaviour and it is unAustralian.

Time expired.

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