At least 200 people participated in a Kath & Kim-styled fun run on June 6 to highlight the absurdity of Queensland’s so-called hate speech laws and raise money for a High Court challenge to them.
This action followed the highly successful April 17 Farnsey Flashmob, where people danced to John Farnham’s “Two Strong Hearts”, which contains a lyric suggestive of one of the banned phrases.
Twenty-six people have been arrested for defying the law, which prohibits the expression of “From the River to the Sea” and “Globalise the Intifada” — Palestine freedom slogans targeted by supporters of Israel’s genocide.
The “From the River to the Sea” slogan is often chanted at pro-Palestine rallies to call for justice and equal rights for all peoples living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Several at the fun run sported slogans on their race bibs or shirts which defied the law. However, police did not arrest anybody. One police officer is reported to have told one of the participants: “There are bad things happening in Queensland but this is not one of them”.
Police have so far taken no action against Jewish psychologist Stephen Heydt over his speech about the “Globalise the Intifada” slogan — which he said, and wore on his shirt, directly outside the Queensland Police Headquarters on May 15.
Justice for Palestine Magan-djin (JFP) is organising another day of action on June 14 — Six words for a free Palestine.
JFP is encouraging people to bring creative signs or make fun of the banned slogans.
Solidarity actions were organised in Boorloo/Perth, Naarm/Melbourne, Gadigal Country/Sydney and Bowrel/Bowral on the same day.
Magan-djin organisers reported that more than $12,000 had been raised for JFP’s High Court challenge and more donations are still coming in.
People came in costume and wrote creative expressions on the race bibs which read “From the ___ to the ___”, allowing people to fill in the blanks to their own taste.
One unicyclist carried a sign: “Reminder: Genocide bad”. One person, dressed up as Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, sported a sign reading “Zionism: running out of time, lies and gullible Goyim but still in possession of your politicians”.
At the end of the race, there was a “Menace-o-meter” which measured the menace caused by participants from “prohibited melon” to “seeds of menace” to “juicy”.
While the law appears absurd — and it is — it is also a serious attack on free speech and the Palestine solidarity movement. This action is the latest in an ongoing campaign to both defeat Israel’s genocide and to defend free speech.
You can donate to JFP’s High Court challenge here.
