The leader of a far right group that had planned to hold a memorial rally marking 10 years since the Cronulla riots has agreed he won’t hold the event – but says he has the right to hold a barbecue instead.
In a bizarre appearance in the federal court on Friday, Nick Folkes gave an undertaking that he would not hold the public assembly that had been organised by the Party for Freedom.
The rally drew heavy resistance from community groups in the Sutherland shire. The local council, New South Wales police and community leader Jamal Rifi all brought court actions to attempt to stop the event.
On Friday morning, the supreme court ruled the NSW police had succeeded in gaining a prohibition to stop the public assembly.
But federal court proceedings against Folkes before Justice Steven Rares, brought by the council and Rifi, began just 15 minutes later.
Following the supreme court ruling, Folkes agreed to make a series of undertakings to the federal court surrounding the rally.
When asked whether he agreed he would not address the rally on Saturday, Folkes replied: “I believe it is an unjust request but I will submit to it, your honour. But I still propose to have a halal-free barbecue on the day.”
He was also asked whether he agreed to post on the Party for Freedom’s website a notice advising the rally was cancelled. He agreed to this, but only “as long as I can include the words that a halal-free barbecue will be held”.
The rally was set to be held on Saturday at Don Lucas reserve in Cronulla. It is unclear at this stage whether a barbecue would breach the terms of the supreme court prohibition.
