Laws designed to stop anti-Catholic protesters 'annoying' pilgrims at World Youth Day have had an unexpected side-effect: an increase in sales of 'design-it-yourself' t-shirts.The controversial new legislation gives police and other 'authorised people' the power to demand that others stop causing "annoyance or inconvenience" to pilgrims at this month's event in Sydney.
But it has been roundly condemned by civil liberties groups, who say that the rules impinge on the public's human rights, and mean that anyone wearing an anti-World Youth Day t-shirt would risk prosecution.
And that fact has apparently led many people to decide to do just that - by creating their own critical slogan t-shirts, or buying ready-made ones from internet stores.
The furore began earlier this week, when Anna Katzmann, president of the New South Wales Bar Association attacked the "ridiculous" laws, claiming they were an affront to freedom of speech.
'Criminal offence'
"The mere presence in the vicinity of a person wearing the apparel or insignia of another religion might be annoying or inconvenient to a participant in a World Youth Day event. So too, the presence of a protestor.
"If I were to wear a T-shirt proclaiming that 'World Youth Day is a waste of public money' and refuse to remove it when an officer of the Rural Fire Service asks me to, I would commit a criminal offence."
Remo Giuffre, founder of REMO General Store, said the row had sparked increased demand for his company's Design'O'Matic t-shirt service.
While both pro-and anti-World Youth Day t-shirts are available, some of the designs put forward have been particularly controversial.
"We expect our customers to be reasonable and to use their common sense in these matters. Thus far we have not been disappointed," Mr Giuffre said.
'Healthy debate'
But he added that while "it would take something pretty hateful and offensive for us to step in and exercise our power of veto to pull down any design", he had since had to do just that, removing a number of t-shirts from the site.
Designer Tristan Parry came up with what is, so far, the company's best-selling World Youth Day design: a plain white t-shirt with the slogan "$5,500: A small price to pay for annoying Catholics".
He explained that a "rather naughty sense of humour", combined with a sense of "indignation at the erosion of our civil liberties" had led him to come up with a series of World Youth Day designs.
But Mr Parry insists he isn't deliberately trying to insult people.
"Some of my best friends are Catholics, honest," he joked. "I'm not in the business of insulting Catholics, but I think healthy debate is always a good thing."
And yes, he will be wearing the t-shirt during World Youth Day.
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