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More than 20 people have been arrested at protests in Brisbane over the weekend, with pro-Palestine groups calling on the Crisafulli government to repeal its contentious hate-speech laws.
A strong police presence blanketed Brisbane’s CBD, including plain-clothed officers and riot police, as hundreds of protesters marched on Parliament on Sunday afternoon.
Among the protesters was Liam Parry, one of the first people arrested under the new laws, who expressed solidarity with those arrested on Saturday, and questioned whether Queenslanders supported the legislation.
“Although [those arrested] can’t be here right now, they’re just as staunch and just as committed to continue the fight for Palestine as ever before,” he told the crowd ahead of the march.
“Basically, no one in Queensland actually supports these laws. Have you met anybody that’s like, ‘oh, I’m really glad they’re taking away our freedom of speech’?”
Last month, the Crisafulli government passed laws outlawing two phrases commonly used by pro-Palestinian protesters – “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” – when used to incite hostility towards a group or when reasonably expected to offend the public.
Justice for Palestine Magan-djin’s Remah Naji described the laws as “asburd” and “dangerous”, telling the group gathered that they were co-ordinating a high court challenge on the basis that the laws were “invalid” under the Australian constitution.
“I think anyone with a brain can see the disparity between, on the one hand, the actual crimes carried out by apartheid Israel… and on the other hand, the passing of laws that criminalise words.”
Greens deputy leader Dr Mehreen Faruqi added that she looked forward to the day “Crisafulli’s reckless, appalling and absurd laws are thrown into the dustbin where they belong”.
One woman arrested on Sunday was seen kneeling with her hands in the air, chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
Students for Palestine Queensland convenor Ella Gutteridge, state leader of the Australian Progressives and member of Jewish collective Doykeit Edward Carroll, and Jewish speaker and activist Stephen Heydt were among the group of 20 people arrested during Saturday’s action.
“Police marched through a part of the crowd and arrested me very shortly after I gave a speech, and took me to the watchhouse and held me for about eight hours,” Gutteridge said.
Carroll and Heydt said the laws did not protect Jewish people.
“They are not about combating antisemitism — they are about silencing dissent and support for Palestine,” Carroll said.
“Even South Africa didn’t kill more than 70,000 and ethnically cleanse millions,” Heydt said.
“As a Jewish Australian, I am here to say – not in our name.”
Premier David Crisafulli said he supported people’s right to protest and “have very strong views”, but reiterated the specific phrases banned under those laws hinted towards eradication of people, which is what was opposed by the government.
“No one’s suggesting people can’t protest, absolutely not. And no one’s suggesting they can’t campaign for freedom and change. They’re just asking for them not to spew the vile about eradicating people because of who they are.”
Protesters in Brisbane were seen holding banners displaying modified versions of the banned phrase, for example, “from the ocean to the creek”.
A woman holding a Jewish flag was escorted from the crowd outside parliament by police.
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