New South Wales police are seeking a court order to block a protest outside Cardinal George Pell’s funeral tomorrow because of “safety concerns”. Source: The Australian.
Community Action for Rainbow Rights, an LGBTI campaign group, had organised a march on Thursday outside St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where a Requiem Mass for the late cardinal is due to be held.
The protest’s Facebook event page invites “all supporters of LGBTI and women’s rights to join us for a protest” to show they “reject George Pell and everything he stood for”.
The protest is centred around Cardinal Pell’s stances on same-sex marriage and abortion, and his leading role in the Catholic Church during the child sexual abuse scandal.
NSW Police are seeking an urgent court order to prevent protesters from marching outside the cathedral.
“Despite attempted negotiations with organisers, safety concerns associated with their proposed assembly cannot be adequately mitigated without amendments to the proposal,” a police spokesman said.
“As such, the commissioner will apply to the NSW Supreme Court to prohibit the assembly.”
Another protest, organised separately but circulated on the Thursday protest’s event page, is to be held today at St Mary’s Cathedral where attendees intend to tie ribbons around the forecourt to “amplify the voices of survivors and victims of child sexual abuse”.
FULL STORY
Police petition to block George Pell funeral protesters (By Noah Lim, The Australian)
RELATED COVERAGE
Thousands expected. Preparations underway for Cardinal Pell’s Funeral / (The Catholic Weekly)
NSW Police apply to Supreme Court to stop LGBTQI protest outside George Pell’s Sydney funeral (ABC News)
George Pell funeral: removing abuse victims’ ribbons is wrong, former church official says (The Guardian)
