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Australian police take protesters to court ahead of rally

Xinhua, January 20, 2017 Adjust font size:

Police in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have initiated legal action on Friday against a planned mass rally to be held protesting the laws governing Sydney's nightlife.

The protest group, Keep Sydney Open, is holding the rally in order to demand the state legislators change the current laws prohibiting alcohol to be served in bars statewide after 1:30 a.m., and requiring pubs and clubs to be closed by 3:00 a.m.

The last-minute legal action comes as state Premier Mike Baird, who pushed through the laws in 2014, resigned earlier this week.

Baird believes the laws succeeded in curbing the violence on Sydney streets and saving lives, while the protest group maintains the laws are killing the nightlife in the harborside Australian city.

The rally would see up to 15,000 people converge on Sydney hotspot Kings Cross from 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. Endit