Danny Lim (activist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Danny Lim | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Councillor of the Municipality of Strathfield | |
| In office 13 September 2008 – 8 September 2012 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1944 (age 81–82) |
| Party | Independent |
| Occupation | Former councillor and electrician |
Danny Lim (born 1944) is an Australian activist and former politician. He is known for wearing political protest signs on a sandwich board.
In 1963 Lim moved from Malaysia to Australia, where he began work as an electrical technician.[1]
Political career
Local government (2008–2012)
In 2008, Lim was elected to Strathfield Council as the lead candidate for an independent ticket, which received 13% of the vote.[2] Lim ran on the policy of "openness, transparency, accountability and morality" in the council, and refused to get paid for his time in office.[3]
State and Federal campaigns
During the 2016 federal election, Lim ran for the Australian Senate and received 0.01% of the vote in New South Wales.[4] He also ran as an Independent for the Legislative Council in the 2019 New South Wales election, gaining 644 votes (0.01%).[5]
Film and music
Lim was a background actor in the movie Three Thousand Years of Longing.[6] He played a storyteller, with his dog Smarty, attempting to squash the bloodlust of a tyrannical ruler.
Lim's infamous court case over the use of an offensive word on one of his signs was featured in the award-winning short documentary You Can You Cvn't.[7]
Lim features on the album cover of Sticky Fingers Lekkerboy album.[8]
Lim was featured in a cameo in season two of Australian teen drama Heartbreak High.[9] Lim also had a cameo in the 2024 film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and attended the premiere in Sydney.[10]
Legal issues
Offensive language court case
In 2015, Lim was fined $500 for offensive conduct after publicly wearing a sign which labelled the prime minister of Australia Tony Abbott a "C∀nt".[11] A GoFundMe campaign by supporters raised enough money to cover the fine within less than an hour.[12] However, Lim appealed and was acquitted, that court ruling that the word 'cunt' is not always offensive when said in public, compared to countries like the United States, and that a conviction would have restricted his freedom of political communication implicit in the Constitution.[13] The case was seen by law academic Luke McNamara as a step towards protecting civil liberties.[14]
Arrest at Barangaroo
Lim was arrested for offensive behaviour at Barangaroo in January 2019.[15] This was due to a sign that included the word 'C∀nt', which a court had previously ruled to be legal. Lim commenced legal action against the charge as well as against the police officers who had arrested him.[16] A rally to protest the arrest was reportedly attended by about 300 people.[17] A magistrate dismissed the case on 30 August 2019.[18]
Incident at the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
On 22 November 2022, he sustained injuries during an arrest in the Queen Victoria Building, leaving him hospitalised. This arrest was later discontinued.[19] On 24 November 2022, he was released from St Vincent's Hospital with "a plan in place for ongoing monitoring" after suffering bleeding on the brain.[20]
Lim taken to hospital April 2023
Lim was taken to hospital in April 2023 after an altercation with a security guard at Barangaroo.[21]
Lim taken to hospital September 2023
On 22 September 2023, Lim was assaulted at Strathfield train station in Sydney by a 66-year-old man while advocating for a "Yes" vote in the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.[22] He was treated and taken to the Concord Repatriation General Hospital, where he received a CAT scan and was later reported to have an eye bleed injury.[23][24]
References
- ↑ Elliott, Tim (1 December 2017). "'Sandwich-board activist' Danny Lim: 'It's important to get people thinking'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ "Strathfield Municipal Council". Electoral Commission NSW. Archived from the original on 10 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ Vollmer, Tim (4 January 2009). "Councillor on a Lim". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ↑ "Senate: First preferences by candidate". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ "Legislative Council - State Election 2019". vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ↑ "Danny Lim". IMDb. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ↑ van Rooyen, Louise (1 June 2009). "Brendan Toole—YOU CAN YOU CVN'T director's exclusive interview". beamafilm. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ↑ "Sticky Fingers Announce New Album, 'Lekkerboy'". Rolling Stone Australia. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ↑ "Heartbreak High Review: Finally, We Have A Show Actually Made For Us". Junkee. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ↑ Bond, Nick (22 May 2024). "Aussie celebs make unrecognisable cameos in new Mad Max film Furiosa". News.com.au. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ↑ Barwell, David (29 August 2017). "Lim wins appeal over Abbott 'c-bomb'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ Lawrence, Vannessa (24 August 2015). "GoFundMe Campaign Covers $500 Fine Activist Danny Lim Copped For Abbott C-Bomb". Pedestrian TV. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
- ↑ "Court Rules It's OK to Refer to Tony Abbott as a C*#t". NSW Courts. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ Webb, Tiger (5 September 2017). "When it's against the law to swear". ABC News. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ "Serial Sydney protester Danny Lim arrested for offensive behaviour". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ Keoghan, Sarah (13 January 2019). "Sandwich-board activist Danny Lim to take legal action against police". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ↑ Zhang, Annie (13 January 2019). "'We love you, Danny': Hundreds gather to protest Danny Lim's violent arrest". Honi Soit. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ↑ "Danny Lim's 'CVN'T' sign not offensive, court rules". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ↑ "Serial protester Danny Lim in hospital after police 'discontinued' arrest in Sydney CBD". the Guardian. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ↑ "Well-known Sydney protester released from hospital after police arrest". www.9news.com.au. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ↑ "'Why you pick on Danny?': Sydney icon Danny Lim taken to hospital". news.com.au.
- ↑ Cooper, Justin (24 September 2023). "Beloved activist Danny Lim attacked while campaigning for Indigenous Voice Referendum". City Hub Sydney. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ↑ "Sydney activist Danny Lim 'attacked while campaigning for Yes vote'". www.9news.com.au. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ↑ "Danny Lim says attack left him 'shocked, scared'". The Age. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.