On Sunday, 9 November, members of Women Speak Tasmania (WST) gathered outside the Hobart Library in Murray Street to protest Libraries Tasmania’s ongoing ban on hiring meeting rooms to our organisation. We organised the protest to coincide with the busy Farm Gate Market, ensuring our message would reach a wide cross-section of the community.
This peaceful demonstration marked the latest step in WST’s statewide public awareness campaign to highlight the growing censorship of women’s voices in Tasmania’s public spaces. Following our permanent exclusion from hiring Libraries Tasmania venues, WST members came together to defend the right to open discussion on issues affecting women and children.
As reported by The Australian on 30 October 2025, Libraries Tasmania has now refused multiple booking requests from WST — including one for a meeting in Huonville to discuss child safeguarding in schools. Staff informed us that under new “hate speech vetting” procedures, any group seeking to hire library meeting rooms must first be approved based on their views.
Such censorship sets a dangerous precedent. Public libraries should be places of learning, open inquiry, and democratic dialogue — not gatekeepers of political ideology. Silencing legitimate, evidence-informed discussion about women’s rights and child safeguarding undermines Tasmania’s democratic principles.
Our flyer, “Libraries Tas: Free Speech NOT Here,” outlined what’s at stake: the right of Tasmanians to speak openly about laws that affect their lives, the importance of evidence-based policy, and the defence of free speech in public spaces.
“Libraries should be places of learning and open discussion, not censorship” said Dr Elizabeth Caballero.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The protest drew a mix of responses from the public — many people were polite and curious, some accepted our pamphlets, others declined, but overall the atmosphere was calm and respectful. Several passersby engaged in thoughtful conversations about free speech and fairness, including a few Libraries Tasmania staff members who happened to be shopping nearby and wanted to understand our concerns.
However, not all encounters were positive. One man — who usually occupies the same corner to hand out newspapers — attempted to block our presence by standing directly in front of us. Though he eventually moved aside after we asked politely, he continued to tell passersby that we were “anti-trans” and misrepresented the purpose of our protest.
Later, a woman shouted at us, “I’m glad you got banned — you’re hateful!” before walking away, hurling further insults. Despite these moments, our members remained calm and focused on our message of open dialogue and respect.
By the end of the morning, we had handed out nearly 200 pamphlets and spoken to dozens of Tasmanians — many of whom expressed concern about the direction Libraries Tasmania has taken. After finishing at the market, we moved to the library entrance, where security prevented us from entering, but we continued engaging with library visitors as they came and went.
Continuing the Fight for Free Speech
It was an eventful and meaningful day for our members — a reminder of both the challenges we face and the strong public support that exists for women’s rights, free speech, and open discussion.
Women Speak Tasmania will continue our advocacy against the censorship of women’s voices and call for Libraries Tasmania to return to its core mission: serving all Tasmanians equally, without discrimination or political bias.
