“Imagine a law that made it illegal to have a drink in your local park. Now, imagine this law was disproportionately used to target young people, Indigenous people, and the homeless.
“Now, imagine that, despite knowing this, local governments continued to zone off more and more public spaces under this law – limiting the places where those who can’t afford expensive city bars, or just don’t like them, can have a drink without fear of harassment.”
This is what activism group Reclaim The Streets claim is happening throughout Sydney, citing the draconian drinking restrictions at The Hub in Newtown, along King St. and in Camperdown Memorial Park, which is the most picnic-friendly space in the Inner-West.
But if that picnic happens to involve a lunchtime chardonnay… against the law!
Reclaim The Streets have had enough and are hosting a massive Civil Disobedience Picnic in Camperdown Memorial Park tonight from 7pm.
Organisers claim these laws actually increase crime in restricted areas, “scaring off a diversity of people who would otherwise stay in the area and effectively eliminating the ability of a street or park to regulate itself.”
Here is the event page; obviously the cops will be looking to shut things down (plus it’s near their station) so proceed with caution.
And don’t forget a bottle opener!
