Australia Weighs Ban on 'Globalise the Intifada' Slogans as Second State Joins Legal Fight
New South Wales government signaled intent to intervene in a High Court challenge against Queensland's ban on pro-Palestine phrases deemed anti-Semitic.
A legal battle over controversial pro-Palestine slogans, including 'globalise the intifada' and 'from the river to the sea,' is set to become a national issue in Australia, as New South Wales (NSW) announced its intention to join the defense of Queensland's ban.
Queensland's government outlawed the phrases in March, classifying them as anti-Semitic when used to menace or offend. The state is now facing a High Court challenge from activists, and NSW has indicated it will intervene in the case, signaling a potential alignment on the issue.
Activists involved in the challenge welcomed NSW's move, viewing it as an opportunity to broaden the scope of the legal fight. Remah Naji, a spokeswoman for Justice for Palestine Magan-Djin and a plaintiff in the case, stated that NSW's intervention was expected and would help transform the matter from a Queensland-specific issue into a "national struggle."
More than 30 individuals have been charged in Queensland since the laws took effect, including four plaintiffs in the current High Court challenge. Other plaintiffs, like Ms. Naji, claim the laws have had a chilling effect on their ability to express themselves.
The plaintiffs argue that the laws infringe upon the implied freedom of political communication under the Australian Constitution. They contend that neither 'globalise the intifada' nor 'from the river to the sea' has a fixed meaning, is inherently anti-Semitic, or constitutes a direct call to violence.
Queensland has yet to formally outline its defense, but in a late September filing, it requested that the charges be remitted to the magistrates' court and the remainder of the case dismissed. The state government has publicly defended its legislation, with Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie describing the slogans as "venomous, poisonous rhetoric."
Some Jewish community groups have expressed support for the bans, citing the fear and anxiety the chants have generated.
NSW Premier Chris Minns had previously indicated that his government would consider enacting similar legislation, contingent on the outcome of the High Court case. This stance represented a shift from an earlier commitment to ban such slogans regardless of the legal challenge. Those earlier comments followed a ruling by NSW's highest court that struck down new protest laws, which had expanded powers to restrict assemblies. The Court of Appeal found that 'social cohesion' was not a valid constitutional reason to limit freedom of political communication.