A court struck
down a new law Tuesday that banned people from annoying
participants of a Roman Catholic youth festival in Australia
that the pope plans to attend, ruling that the law
restricted free speech.
The ruling handed
down on the opening day of the six-day World Youth Day
festival paves the way for activists to hand out condoms and
coat hangers -- symbolizing abortions -- to pilgrims
in a demonstration planned for Saturday.
Three federal
court judges ruled that the law was invalid under
Australia's constitution because it limited freedom of
speech. The new regulations had made behavior that
caused annoyance or inconvenience to festival
participants punishable by fines up $5,300.
The legal
challenge was brought by two activists from the NoPope
Coalition, a group of gay rights and secular activists. The
coalition is planning a rally on Saturday at which
activists said they will wear T-shirts condemning Pope
Benedict XVI and hand out condoms and coat hangers to
pilgrims taking part in a procession through Sydney.
''We now have a
lot more confidence to take to the streets to condemn
Pope Benedict's policies against condom use, against
contraception, against homosexuality,'' said Rachel
Evans, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. ''We are
glad that the court has ruled that we do have the
freedom of expression to communicate our political views on
Saturday.''
The New South
Wales state government introduced the regulations for July
only, saying they were the same sort of powers authorities
normally have to quell potential trouble at big
sporting events.
Sydney archbishop
Cardinal George Pell said the church had not asked for
the special rules and had no problem with the right to
protest legally.
Pope Benedict XVI
is in Sydney for World Youth Day, which officials say
has attracted more than 200,000 pilgrims from around the
world. The pontiff does not have any public events
until Thursday, when he tours Sydney Harbor and
delivers a major address. The festival culminates with
a papal Mass on Sunday. (AP)
