Annual street parade blocked by police due to crowd, safety fears

An annual western Sydney street parade has hit a roadblock after police raised fears over crowd numbers, safety impacts and traffic congestion.

Just weeks after unsuccessfully opposing a protest against Israel’s involvement in Gaza in which some 90,000 marched across the Harbour Bridge, NSW Police have lodged objections to the Australian Sikh Association’s street parade through Glenwood on August 24, marking a key tradition on the Sikh religious calendar.

The parade has been held by one of Sydney’s largest Sikh temples – Gurdwara Sahib – for at least 20 years. However, plans for this year have been officially refused by Blacktown Council in response to the objections.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said concerns about the parade, which attracts up to 2000 people, included potential safety issues, crowd control and traffic impacts associated with the road closures.

With less than a fortnight before the event was due to be held, members of the Australian Sikh Association are now locked in talks with Blacktown Council, seeking a solution for it to proceed.

Ranbir Singh Pawar, who sits on the temple’s management committee, said the refusal had left many in the community stunned.

“The parade is a key tradition for the Sikh community and it doesn’t make sense to us why it’s been refused this year when we’ve been able to hold it safely for so many years,” he said.

“We had proper traffic plans in place and it’s due to be held on a Sunday, so it’s not like people are going to be unnecessarily stuck in traffic trying to get to work.

“Even if people are inconvenienced for one hour in the morning, I think most people would welcome the parade because it’s about promoting peace and inclusion.”

In a statement a Blacktown Council spokesman said the refusal of the parade – which involves temporarily closing roads around the temple – was based on objections to the route from police.

The spokesman said the council had suggested Blacktown Showground as a possible alternative location and was “open to working with [the association] to identify arrangements [for] the event to proceed safely”.

But Sikh Association secretary Nishan Singh said the showground was not suitable as it was traditional to stage the parade, known as Nagar Kirtan, in residential areas – in line with similar events held globally.

Blacktown Mayor Brad Bunting, speaking at a council traffic meeting, said there had “been long-term issues with this event”; however, he did not specify those concerns.

Police were called to the temple in 2021 after a convoy carrying Indian flags reportedly attempted to disrupt the event.

Pawar, however, said there was no suggestion such protests had been planned this year.

Riverstone Police Area Command superintendent Jason Joyce said the march could have “potentially involved several thousand people”, causing “significant issues for transport” including buses.

“Large gatherings in public streets increase the risk of accidents and injuries, particularly in the event of unexpected incidents or emergencies. Ensuring the safety of all participants and bystanders should be a top priority,” he said.

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