LadySybilVimes
I think that’s the point of dispute though, isn’t it? A lot of things can be weapons, the critical point is whether they are ‘only’ weapons and the Sikh community would likely not define them as such.
I accept your last point but I think that too is complicated. If I have understood correctly, Sikhs are required to keep the kirpan with them after they are baptised and this occurs at ‘maturity’. In one of the articles I read, there was an argument made that baptism should not occur until kids finish school and that might be reasonable going forward but for students who are currently at school it really doesn’t change the situation.
Beyond that, I’ve seen no reporting that suggests that large segments of the community support the decision for a blanket and immediate ban across all of NSW. I could be wrong though, I’m not a Sikh and I don’t live in NSW but none of the coverage I have seen suggests that this is likely.