Unruly in Testing Times

Newly formed Right to Protest WA opened UNRULY WA: protest makes progress with a bang at Kidogo Arthouse on 2 June, introduced by a throng of “difficult women”.

Over three nights, UNRULY featured local photographic compilations of Western Australia’s proud history of protesting, alongside talks, live music, and the “difficult women” march evoking the suffragette movement of not-so-long ago to win the women’s vote.

In the wake of the Cook Labor Government’s planned changes to WA’s protest laws with the Public Order Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, currently before the State Parliament, Right to Protest’s work celebrated and defended the right to assemble and protest.

Australia has a long and active identity in protest, and below are a few examples of historic movements, with many enduring to this day –

Pilbara Mining Workers Strike 1946-49
May Day 1962
Vietnam Moratoriums 1970
International Women’s Day rally 8 March 1975
Nuclear Disarmament Rally 1984
Sydney Mardi Gras 1985
Third Wave Campaign 1997
Reconciliation marches for Corroboree 2000 in May 2000
Protests against the Iraq War 2003
Black Lives Matter 2020
Stop AUKUS 2021
Free Palestine 2023
March for Forests 2024
Fossil Fool Crime Walk (Carnevale) 2026

Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody coined it beautifully: from little things big things grow.

Anna Copeland, human rights lawyer and academic, who MC’d during the three day event, observed:

“Many battles have been won, but a new fight is just starting as the Cook government tries to strip away the right to protest, through two pieces of legislation currently before parliament.”

Human rights groups argue the Bill risks criminalising peaceful assembly, because the “likely to promote hate” test introduced by the Bill is broad and discretionary. They warn it could chill protests on First Nations rights, environmental issues, or Palestine/Israel.

Exhibition curator Gwen Velge said of the exhibition that it was “a clear example of what people can achieve together; solidarity and collective action can create a better world.”

Right to Protest WA reminded participants of the power of collective activism over three nights of art, discussion and community. Each night explored the issues in different formats:

– Tuesday 2 June, 6.30pm, Exhibition Launch and soundscape by Measures of Distance
– Wednesday 3 June, 6.30pm, Seminar: Unruly Voices with Jo Vallentine, Tanesha Bennell, Marziya Mohammedali and Sophie McNeill
– Thursday 4 June, 6.30pm, Songs of Protest: a musical tribute to collective action with Dave Johnson and friends.

More information about the proposed protest law amendments can be found here. The Bill containing the proposed amendments is currently under parliamentary committee scrutiny until mid‑June 2026 and the committee report is expected soon.