SYDNEY, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The police force in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has moved to ban known neo-Nazis from entering central Sydney during protests that are planned to be held on Australia Day next Monday.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Wednesday that the NSW Police Force has issued several neo-Nazis with public safety orders banning them from entering Sydney's central business district (CBD) over a 24-hour period on Jan. 26.
Paperwork for the orders says that Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden has assessed that the presence of recipients in the CBD next Monday poses a serious risk to public safety and warns that anyone who breaches the ban will face a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.
Australia Day is celebrated on Jan. 26 every year to mark the anniversary of the arrival of Britain's First Fleet at Sydney Harbor in 1788.
In addition to celebrations, Australia Day is also marked every year with nationwide protests led by Indigenous Australians who have declared the date as Invasion Day or Survival Day.
Mal Lanyon, NSW's Police Commissioner, on Tuesday announced that restrictions on public protests imposed in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack have been significantly limited, allowing the rallies planned for Sydney on Monday to go ahead. ■
