Open letter: drop the charges against Palestine activist arrested over newly banned solidarity phrase

We, the undersigned, condemn the arrest of activist Liam Parry and an 18 year-old woman at a pro-Palestine student rally in Queensland over the Palestine solidarity phrase recently banned by the state government. The phrase refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and is not listed here because it is not yet known how widely the draconian law will be applied. We call for all charges to be dropped immediately, and for the law to be scrapped. The new laws in the state are a dangerous attack on the right to protest and on freedom of political expression. We demand all charges dropped immediately. Around the world, this phrase has long been used as a call for Palestinian freedom and equality between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Criminalising slogans used by protesters is an attempt to intimidate the growing solidarity movement with Palestine and to silence criticism of the Israeli state at a time when its assault on Gaza has provoked outrage across the globe. These kinds of arrests set a chilling precedent. Governments and police are increasingly using vague accusations of “hate speech” or “incitement” to clamp down on protests and discourage people from speaking out about the ongoing catastrophe facing Palestinians. Attempts to criminalise solidarity will not stop the movement for Palestinian freedom; they will only deepen public anger and strengthen the determination of people to stand on the side of justice.

MSN

Australian politics live: PM tells First Nations community ‘we stand with you’ after terror charge laid over alleged Invasion Day bomb attempt

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‘It could have caused many deaths’: Bomb attack condemned

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