Australian police attempted to prevent the pro-Palestine demonstration in Sydney on October 6th and 7th. The Israel War that has killed tens of thousands and created a humanitarian crisis in the Middle East has entered its third year now.

Police said in a statement late on Tuesday that they will go to court to seek an order for a ban as they were not convinced that the protest could go ahead safely after holding talks with the rally’s organizers. “The priority is the safety of the participants and the wider community,” police said.

Conflict in the Middle East intensified on Tuesday as Iran lobbed over sixty ballistic missiles at Israel in response to Israel’s air and ground attack on Hezbollah, an anti-Israel militia group that is Iran’s ally in Lebanon. Israel has vowed a “painful response.”The Palestine Action Group Sydney said on Facebook the move by the police to ban protests was an attack on fundamental democratic rights.

It said: “We have a right to demonstrate. the Palestine Action Group unequivocally opposes this attempt to silence protests.” Protests in Melbourne over the weekend saw some displaying flags with the symbol of Hezbollah and photos of leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Israeli strikes last week, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist organization in Australia, and all Australians are offence if they provide financial support to it or participate in fighting in the ranks of the organization. In Australia, there has been an increase in incidents of hate since the war in Gaza between Israel and its neighbor to the southeast.

The country also enacted laws last year which banned public displays of symbols from the terror group. An anti-war protest outside a defense exhibition in Melbourne last month turned violent as police used sponge grenades, flash-bang devices, and irritant sprays to control parts of the crowd that turned hostile at times, injuring two dozen officers.