Queensland plans legislation criminalising certain pro-Pales-tinian expressions, proposing penalties of up to two years in prison for displaying or reciting slogans including “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada.” The proposal is framed as part of a broader crackdown on hate speech and antisemitism. Details of the draft legislation outline criminal consequences for public use of the specified phrases.

Greens Queensland MP Michael Berkman rejected the measure, warning against what he described as the deliberate distortion of political language. He said people should not allow others to redefine commonly used political phrases. Berkman argued that the meaning of such expressions should not be altered through legislative action.

On Monday, the Brisbane Times asked protesters to explain what the chants meant to them. One demonstrator said the phrase referred to Pales-tine extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and described the land as having been taken from Pales-tinians after the United Nations allocated it to Israel as a homeland.