AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe Australian state of New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital, on Wednesday passed new laws that further restrict gun ownership and empower the police to shut down protests, in response to last weeks terrorist attack on a Hanukkah celebration.The state legislation comes just 10 days after the countrys deadliest mass shooting in decades, which left 15 people dead at Bondi Beach in Sydney. It is the first of a slew of actions the countrys leaders have pledged in the wake of the massacre to tighten gun laws, criminalize hate speech and crack down on groups spreading extremist ideology.The slate of laws was passed at 3 a.m. after a lengthy debate. Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, acknowledged that they were extraordinary measures that would be controversial, but said they were proportionate and necessary steps to keep the public safe in light of the attack in Bondi.Sydney and New South Wales have changed forever as a result of that terrorist activity last Sunday, he said at a news conference following the passage.The new laws afford broad powers to police to prohibit and disperse protests for up to 90 days after an incident has been declared terrorism.Those restrictions were met with concern from lawmakers, activists and some religious leaders that an unfair association was being drawn between the actions of the two gunmen behind the mass shooting, and the largely peaceful protesters expressing concerns about the humanitarian c