Police have applied to the supreme court to stop a pro-Palestinian protest at the Israeli Film Festival in Sydney, in a move organisers have described as an attack on their right to protest.

Palestine Action Group Sydney has organised the protest for Thursday night at Palace cinemas in Oxford Street when the Israeli Film Festival, which is run by the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange (AICE), arrives in Sydney.

Damian Ridgwell, 28, a founder of Palestine Action Group Sydney, was served on Friday evening by two police officers with the summons to appear in the supreme court. The summons, seen by Guardian Australia, says police have made an application under the Summary Offences Act 1988 to “prohibit the holding of a public assembly”.

No reason is given for trying to stop the protest, which Ridgwell says will put him at a disadvantage when he fronts the court.

“I think they are going to try to say it will disrupt traffic but if you go by that logic there would never be any protests in Australia, almost every single one of them disrupts traffic,” he said.

“It is not just or fair to deny our right to protest … why is it that pro-Palestinian protesters have to fight for their right to protest?”

Ridgwell said AICE was a “legitimate target” of protest because of its support for Israel in conflicts with Palestine and called it a “highly political group”. Palestine Action Group Sydney is a supporter of the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel, and the group argues for cultural and academic boycotts.

Ridgwell said he was expecting about 1,000 people at the protest on Thursday evening.

“We are all horrified by Israel’s massacre and people feel the response of the Australian government has been appalling,” he said.

NSW police are also asking the Palestine Action Group to cover its court costs.

AICE was established in 2002 and focuses on literature, film, music, visual and plastic arts, drama, dance and architecture.

On its website it describes itself as an “outward focused, inclusive body, advancing the exchange of culture between Australia and Israel as a means of encouraging art and artistic links”.

“We foster a spirit of greater tolerance and understanding of the unique cultures that these two ancient lands have to offer and facilitate artistic co-operation, innovation and exposition,” the website says.

AICE has been contacted for comment. NSW police did not comment on the application on Sunday.