2014 Sydney hostage crisis
After the siege began, a staged exclusion zone was established with thousands of people evacuated from nearby buildings, including from the floors above the café. The Sydney Opera House was evacuated after a suspicious package was found; however, reports were unconfirmed by police. The US Consulate General in Sydney, located in Martin Place, was also evacuated. Some Sydney schools were put in "white level lockout" due to the hostage situation, which meant that no school group was permitted to leave the school grounds.
Sydney lockout laws
In October 2016, around 4,000 people attended another Keep Sydney Open protest calling for the NSW Government to lift lockout laws. Organisers said that the laws alienated young people and destroyed the live music scene, all while allowing The Star casino to remain open. A third Keep Sydney Open rally was planned for January 2017, but NSW Police summarily shut the rally down by making a last minute application to the New South Wales Supreme Court for a "prohibition order" under the "Summary Offences Act" 1988.