Pro-Palestine protesters ascended to the roof of the Australian Parliament Building in Canberra. They unfurled several banners, one of which stated, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”Pro-Palestine protesters ascended to the roof of the Australian Parliament Building in Canberra. They unfurled several banners, one of which stated, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The demonstration coincided with recent divisions within Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government. The government suspended Muslim senator Fatima Payman for voting in favor of Australia recognizing a Palestinian state. Four protesters from the Renegade Activists group occupied the roof for an hour, displaying large black and white banners. One banner read, “No peace on stolen land.” One protester, using a megaphone, accused the Israeli government of “war crimes” in Gaza, with US support. They also condemned the Australian government for its alleged complicity. Police advised people to avoid the main entrance of the building. After approximately an hour, the protesters packed up their banners and were escorted away by police. James Paterson, spokesman for the opposition Home Affairs Party, called the incident a “serious breach” of Parliament’s security. He demanded an investigation into how the protesters accessed the roof. The latest conflict in Gaza began in October 2022 when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel. Israel’s subsequent military operation killed nearly 1,200 Palestinians and displaced or imprisoned countless others. South Africa has filed a petition with the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. A United Nations investigation found that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war. Since the conflict began, several pro-Palestinian protests have occurred in Australia, including demonstrations in major cities and occupations of university campuses. The Labor Partysuspended Payman indefinitely after she voted in favor of a parliamentary motion supporting Palestinian statehood, defying government policy. Australia currently does not recognize the Palestinian state, but Foreign Minister Penny Wong has indicated a potential change in policy before the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian authorities concludes.
Pro-Palestine protesters have climbed onto the roof of the Australian Parliament Building in Canberra and unfurled several banners, including one reading: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
The demonstration outside the national parliament on Thursday followed recent divisions within the Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which suspended a Muslim senator who voted in favor of Australia recognizing a Palestinian state.
Four people from the Renegade Activists group, dressed in dark clothing, stood on the roof of the building for about an hour, unfurling several large black and white banners, including one that read: “No peace on stolen land.”
One of the protesters made a speech using a megaphone accusing the Israeli government of “war crimes” in Gaza with US support, and the Australian government of complicity in the alleged abuses.
“We declare to the Australian government that we will continue to expose and combat the US imperialist, hegemonic and capitalist interests that you champion,” the protester shouted.
“Australia continues to commit and enable war crimes as lackeys to our ‘great and powerful’ friends.”
A handful of police and security guards advised people not to walk directly under the protest group at the main entrance of the building. Meanwhile, more people were seen on the roof trying to clear the group.
The protesters packed up their banners before being led away by waiting police at around 11:30 a.m. local time (01:30 GMT).
“This is a serious breach of the security of Parliament,” said James Paterson, spokesman for the opposition Home Affairs Party, in a post on the social media platform X.
“The building has been modified at great expense to prevent these types of raids. An investigation is needed.”
The latest war in Gaza began when Palestinian fighters from Hamas invaded southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and capturing about 250 others. Israel’s war on the besieged Palestinian territory has killed nearly 38,000 people, forcibly displaced most of the population multiple times and devastated the densely populated enclave.
South Africa has filed a petition with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, while a United Nations investigation last month found that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war.
The investigation also found that Israel’s actions constituted crimes against humanity due to the massive civilian casualties.
Since the war began, Australia has seen several pro-Palestinian protests, including weekly demonstrations in major cities and months-long occupations of university campuses.
The Labour Party on Monday suspended senator Fatima Payman indefinitely after she voted in favour of a parliamentary motion supporting Palestinian statehood. Payman said she had been “banned” after she supported the motion – tabled by the Greens – in defiance of government policy.
Australia does not currently recognise the Palestinian state, although Foreign Minister Penny Wong indicated in May that it might do so before the formal peace process between Israel and the Palestinian authorities is completed.
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