Two activists were arrested at a student-organised pro-Palestine rally on March 11. Two hours earlier a controversial new law criminalising certain Palestine freedom slogans came into effect.
That evening, Justice for Palestine Magan-djin (JFP) organised an overflowing public meeting to discuss the new laws and the movement’s strategic response. It decided to organise a weekend of action over April 18-19.
Students for Palestine representative Liam Parry told the March 11 rally that the banned slogans are part of a peace movement. “They’re part of a movement that opposes state sanctioned terrorism. These are slogans that are about liberation, freedom and equality for everybody.”
Parry argued the laws are illegitimate and conflict with the implied right to freedom of political communication contained in the constitution. He also said the law allows for “reasonable excuses”, including if the phrases are expressed in the public interest or for educational purposes.
“I can’t think of anything that is more in the public interest than speaking out against a genocide, the crime of all crimes,” Parry said. Further, “in the interests of education”, he made some comments about the history and meaning of the banned slogan “from the River to the Sea” before proclaiming it before the crowd.
Minutes later, Parry was arrested by Queensland Police. He is due to appear in court next month.
A second activist was arrested for wearing a singlet with the phrase “From the river to the sea” on it. She was released with a warning.
Earlier, Greens MP Michael Berkman told the rally that it “boggles the mind” that the government would “literally ban select words”.
Berkman spoke about the symbols that have been banned. “The question has been asked and not yet answered: Is the watermelon now a proscribed symbol?
“Somehow, we've reached a place in Queensland now where an expression of solidarity, a call for peace and justice and freedom for people who are being murdered ... those words are enough to put you in prison,” Berkman said.
He called for the pro-Palestine movement to “push back” and “take it head on” but to do so “in a careful and calculated way, in concert with Justice for Palestine (JFP)”.
JFP said on March 12 that it stood in solidarity with those people who were arrested. “[The laws] weren’t designed to make our streets safer; they were designed to silence Palestinian voices and protect a foreign government from being criticised by Australians.”
“These laws are a direct attack on Palestine advocacy in Australia. But they won’t stop there.
“The jump from these laws to your life is shorter than you think. Today it’s Palestine. Tomorrow it’s climate. Next week it’s workers.”
JFP has also launched an appeal for funds to challenge the laws and defend activists affected by them.
Students for Palestine convenor Ella Gutteridge told the ABC that the police response on the day was “total overreach” and an attempt to intimidate students.
Police Minister Dan Purdie said he did not believe the arrests suppressed free speech.
Despite promising to pass the bill, Labor voted against the laws. However, a lot of its public messaging was focused on procedural questions, such as the constrained consultation period.
