In a swift policy response to last week’s Bondi Beach terrorist shooting, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed on 20 December 2025 that state parliament will sit in emergency session to introduce laws banning specific hate slogans—including ‘globalise the intifada’—and to restrict protest activity for up to three months following terrorism-related incidents.
The draft legislation will also criminalise public display of symbols linked to proscribed organisations such as ISIS, Hamas and Hezbollah, mirroring federal counter-terror measures. Penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment are proposed, and police will gain expanded powers to remove face coverings and order dispersal of unauthorised gatherings.
For global-mobility practitioners the most immediate impact lies in visa compliance: the Albanese Government has signalled it will use information from state hate-crime investigations to exercise strengthened powers (announced 18 December) to refuse or cancel visas of foreign nationals who promote extremist rhetoric. Employers hosting overseas secondees or short-term business visitors should therefore brief travellers on the new protest-law landscape and review social-media policies to ensure corporate reputations and visa status are not inadvertently jeopardised.
![NSW to outlaw ‘globalise the intifada’ chant and tighten protest limits after Bondi attack]()
At this juncture, specialised visa facilitators can prove invaluable. VisaHQ, for instance, maintains an Australian hub (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) that tracks legislative shifts in real time, guides employers through sponsorship obligations and pre-screens travellers to detect any red-flag character issues before applications are lodged.
Civil-liberties groups argue the measures risk over-reach and could suppress legitimate political expression, but opinion polls taken after the attack show 74 per cent of respondents support tougher hate-speech laws. The legislation is expected to pass with bipartisan backing, although a parliamentary committee will review constitutional robustness early in 2026.
Practical advice for international assignees in NSW includes avoiding demonstrations until the legal position is clearer, monitoring official channels for protest-route closures that may affect commuting, and ensuring visa holders understand that even on-line promotion of banned slogans could prompt character-test investigations.
The draft legislation will also criminalise public display of symbols linked to proscribed organisations such as ISIS, Hamas and Hezbollah, mirroring federal counter-terror measures. Penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment are proposed, and police will gain expanded powers to remove face coverings and order dispersal of unauthorised gatherings.
For global-mobility practitioners the most immediate impact lies in visa compliance: the Albanese Government has signalled it will use information from state hate-crime investigations to exercise strengthened powers (announced 18 December) to refuse or cancel visas of foreign nationals who promote extremist rhetoric. Employers hosting overseas secondees or short-term business visitors should therefore brief travellers on the new protest-law landscape and review social-media policies to ensure corporate reputations and visa status are not inadvertently jeopardised.
At this juncture, specialised visa facilitators can prove invaluable. VisaHQ, for instance, maintains an Australian hub (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) that tracks legislative shifts in real time, guides employers through sponsorship obligations and pre-screens travellers to detect any red-flag character issues before applications are lodged.
Civil-liberties groups argue the measures risk over-reach and could suppress legitimate political expression, but opinion polls taken after the attack show 74 per cent of respondents support tougher hate-speech laws. The legislation is expected to pass with bipartisan backing, although a parliamentary committee will review constitutional robustness early in 2026.
Practical advice for international assignees in NSW includes avoiding demonstrations until the legal position is clearer, monitoring official channels for protest-route closures that may affect commuting, and ensuring visa holders understand that even on-line promotion of banned slogans could prompt character-test investigations.
