The far right group planning a memorial rally to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Cronulla riots is facing a new court injunction from Sutherland shire council and community leader Jamal Rifi to stop the rally going ahead.
The Party for Freedom, led by Nick Folkes, has planned a rally at Cronulla on Saturday to mark the tenth anniversary of the race riots that enveloped the region and saw a wave of violence across Sydney.
But the group has faced heavy opposition from police and the council, which has not given permission for the rally to occur.
Rifi had earlier on Monday revealed he was making a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission about the rally, arguing that the gathering would cause offence and incite racial hatred.
The council had also sent Folkes a letter last Friday warning him that unless he gave an undertaking not to hold the rally, that the council would seek an injunction in the supreme court.
Late on Monday the council and Rifi made applications in the federal court under Australia’s human rights laws in a further bid to stop the rally going ahead.
Justice Rares ordered that a hearing for the interlocutory injunction be set down for Wednesday 9 December. Folkes, the Party for Freedom and former United Patriot Front leader Shermon Burgess are all named in the application.
The latest injunction comes in addition to an earlier application by the New South Wales police in the supreme court to prevent the gathering from occuring.
NSW police have said they will be maintaining a heavy presence in Cronulla on Saturday.
Plans for a counter protest are also underway by a number of anti-racism groups in Sydney.
Folkes told Guardian Australia on Monday he welcomed Rifi’s application to the human rights commission.
