Keep Queensland Open To Host Last-Ditch Lockout Laws Protest

A rally against Labor’s Queensland lockout laws has been confirmed for this coming Sunday, with Brisbane group No Curfew and Keep Queensland Open joining forces to protest outside Brisbane’s Treasury Casino, the only venue currently protected by the laws.

Protesters will meet outside the Casino at Reddacliff Place at 2pm, with live performances and speeches from influential industry bodies, musicians and politicians against the lockout laws before they march the streets from New Farm Park to Fortitude Valley.

The new laws will see a 2am cessation of service — or 3am, in entertainment precincts — take affect from next weekend, July 1, with a number of bands putting together four anti-lockout gigs next Thursday, June 30, under the banner Brisbane's Big Kick On.

“It is vital that the voices of those who responsibly enjoy the nightlife, as well as those who make a living from it, are heard,” rally spokesperson Emma Stevenson said.

“It’s flabbergasting that the State Government have ignored the express concerns of hundreds of thousands of law abiding patrons, who enjoy Queensland’s nightlife every week.
  
“We want a government who acknowledges and celebrates our vibrant nightlife, and stands up for its patrons, young and old, as well as those who have built their careers around this important part of our local fabric.”

No Curfew has also setup an online petition to combat the “knee-jerk lockout laws”, which currently has close to 5,500 signatures.

Check out Keep Queensland Open’s Facebook event page for more details as well as speaker and performance announcements.