Four protesters supporting Palestine were detained after scaling Australia’s Parliament House roof on Thursday in a security incident criticised by lawmakers, coinciding with a senator from the ruling party resigning over the government’s position on Palestine.
The protesters remained on the roof of the Canberra building for about an hour, displaying black banners, one of which stated, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a popular slogan among pro-Palestine demonstrators.
One protester used a megaphone to accuse the Israeli government of committing war crimes, an allegation Israel denies.
“We will not forget, we will not forgive, and we will continue to resist,” the protester declared.
Authorities advised people to avoid the main entrance under the protest while additional security tried to remove the demonstrators from the roof.
The protesters dismantled their banners before being escorted away by police around 11:30 am local time (02:30 WAT).
The four individuals were arrested, charged with trespassing, and banned from Parliament grounds for two years, according to an Australian Capital Territory police spokesperson.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced the protests.
“Those responsible should face the full consequences of the law. Peaceful protest is important in our society, but this was not peaceful,” he stated.
Speaker of the House Milton Dick announced an investigation into the security breach.
Fatima Payman, a senator from the ruling Labour Party, resigned from the party on Thursday to become independent after being suspended for supporting a motion favouring Palestinian statehood.
“Seeing our government’s apathy towards the greatest injustice of our time makes me question the party’s direction,” she said at a news conference.
Australia has called for a ceasefire in the conflict for months but does not currently recognise Palestinian statehood. However, Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned in May that recognition might occur before a formal peace process between Israel and Palestinian authorities concludes.
Payman’s departure could complicate Labour’s ability to pass legislation in the Senate, where they lack a majority.
The conflict in Gaza began on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israel.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 38,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and devastated the densely populated coastal area.
A U.N. inquiry last month found that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza conflict, stating that Israel’s actions also amounted to crimes against humanity due to significant civilian casualties.
Since the conflict began, Australia has seen numerous pro-Palestine protests, including weekly rallies in major cities and prolonged occupations of university campuses.
Nancy Mbamalu
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