The first person to be charged under the Queensland government’s recently passed hate speech laws has appeared in court amid protests outside.
Liam Parry, 33, was arrested and charged on Wednesday 11 March for reciting the phrase “from the river to the sea” at a demonstration in Brisbane’s CBD.
An 18-year-old woman was also arrested for having the phrase on the singlet she was wearing but was released without charge.
The phrases “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” were deemed antisemitic by the government and some sections of the Jewish community and outlawed in Queensland when used to menace or offend someone.
Loading…
The new laws, passed in state parliament last month, included both written and spoken use of phrases, such as chants or placards at a protest, with penalties of up to two years in prison.
Mr Parry is facing one count of reciting or publicly displaying a prohibited expression that is reasonably expected to menace harass or offend member of the public.
Mr Parry was supported by dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters outside court on Wednesday.
A 70-year-old protester, Mark Gillespie, was warned by police to put down a sign he was holding which read “from the sea to the river”, which is similar to the banned phrase.
One protester was instructed by police to put down a sign with a similar phrase. (ABC News: Niddal Mustafa)
The protest was organised by Students for Palestine, which said it had more action planned for the coming month.
Mr Parry told reporters outside court he planned to contest the charges.
“I’ve got more court dates coming up in a few weeks,” Mr Parry said.
“I think that it’s an important moment in Queensland right now. The government is trying to criminalise pro-Palestine advocacy, we can’t accept that.”
“I think the protest today is an indication that people won’t accept their civil rights and civil liberties being taken away.”
Mr Parry said it felt “surreal” that he was facing up to two years in jail.
“I don’t think there was anything hateful or menacing about my speech,” he said.
The matter was heard briefly in the Brisbane Magistrates Court and adjourned to April 29.