A pro-Palestinian activist was taken into custody in Brisbane for using a phrase prohibited under Queensland’s new hate speech laws. Sam Woripa Watson was arrested shortly after addressing a rally against the legislation, during which he said “from the river to the sea” in a crowd of approximately 200 protesters.

Watson, who recently participated in a flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces, spoke at the Justice for Palestine Magandjin mass civil disobedience rally held at King George’s Square in Brisbane’s central business district. In his address, he described the treatment he and others experienced while on the flotilla and contrasted it with the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people. “When I say ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine should be free,’ I mean that I have seen firsthand what the occupation does. It should not be allowed to continue,” he stated.

Approximately ten minutes after Watson’s remarks, police officers removed him from the rally and placed him in a police van in the presence of a heavy police contingent overseeing the event. The Queensland government, led by Premier David Crisafulli, banned the phrases “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” under laws enacted last July targeting hate speech. To date, at least 24 individuals have been charged under the legislation.

Premier Crisafulli defended the restrictions, emphasizing that protesters retain the right to criticize regimes but must avoid language identified as promoting hatred or violence. “There is nothing stopping them criticising the regime. We just don’t want them to use the two phrases that have been singled out as hatred,” he said.

However, Justice for Palestine organisers have raised concerns regarding inconsistent enforcement of the laws. Group member Renah Naj claimed that police have allowed at least eight people to use the banned phrase at protests without facing charges. In a related development, the first person charged under the legislation, Liam Parry, recently contested a by-election for the state seat of Stafford with the Queensland Socialists, confronting Premier Crisafulli at a campaign booth on polling day.

Justice for Palestine members are currently preparing a High Court challenge to the legislation, with plans to formally initiate legal action in July. The case is expected to test the boundaries of free speech and the scope of the state’s hate speech regulations.