A ban on the phrases “From the river to the sea” and “Globalise the intifada” by the Australian northeastern state of Queensland has triggered backlash for stifling free speech, according to ABC News.
The phrases were banned under legislation that was passed on Thursday in the state parliament.
Using the expressions — spoken or written, including chants or placards at protests — could carry penalties of up to two years in prison.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli of the conservative Liberal National Party (LNP) said the legislation forms part of the “strongest antisemitism laws in the country.”
But many Palestinians, Muslims and pro-Palestinian activists said the slogans are calls for Palestinian freedom and equal rights in the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
The phrases have been widely used globally during protests against Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
The Labour Party, which sits in opposition in the state assembly, voted against the bill, arguing the changes were rushed and threatened free speech.
“We have voted against the LNP’s laws to criminalise free speech," opposition leader Steven Miles wrote on US social media company X.
The Islamic Council of Queensland warned that the bill threatens civil liberties and political expression.
In a submission on the legislation, the council said the phrases are understood by many Muslims “not as incitements to physical violence, but as calls for justice, democracy, and equal treatment for all citizens in the Holy Land.”
The legislation was introduced following the December attack at Bondi Beach, which killed 16 victims, including a gunman, and also includes gun law reforms requiring new firearm licence applicants to be Australian citizens.
