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Australian police are seeking to block two pro-Palestinian assemblies on Oct. 6 and 7, one year after Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel in which officials say about 1,200 people were killed and Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip that local officials say has killed more than 41,000 people.

After negotiations with protest organizers, police in the state of New South Wales are “not satisfied that the protest can proceed safely,” they said in a statement, and will apply to the state Supreme Court to stop the two events from going forward.

“The first priority for the NSW Police Force is the safety of the participants and the wider community,” the statement said, adding that the force supports the rights of free speech and peaceful assembly.

In response, Palestine Action Group Sydney called the move an “attack on fundamental democratic rights.”

“We have a right to demonstrate,” the group said on Facebook. “The Palestine Action Group unequivocally opposes this attempt to silence protests.”

Anti-war protesters clashed with police in Melbourne last month, leaving two dozen officers injured.