Pro-Palestinian group vows to mount legal challenge over Queensland’s anti-hate speech laws

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have pledged to mount a constitutional challenge against hate speech legislation passed by Australia’s Queensland state following widespread arrests at a rally opposing the laws, Australian media reports said Monday.

Activists from Justice for Palestine Magan-djin marched to the state parliament in Brisbane on Sunday, a day after 20 people were taken into custody for allegedly chanting or displaying two banned phrases, local broadcaster SBS News reported.

Two other people were arrested Sunday on the same charge.

Justice for Palestine Magan-djin said it had received legal advice that nearly all of the arrested protesters had acted legally if they used the prohibited expression.

“(The law) provides that it is a reasonable excuse to use the prohibited expression for a purpose that is in the public interest and (their) conduct is reasonable in the circumstances,” said Subhi Awad, a group leader.

Queensland earlier this year passed legislation banning the phrases “From the river to the sea” and “Globalize the intifada,” categorizing them as hate speech against Jewish people.

Anyone found reciting or displaying the phrases can face up to two years in jail

The protesters arrested Saturday face 14 charges of displaying a prohibited expression and seven charges of reciting a prohibited expression.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli previously said the laws provided strong protection and came in response to clear calls from the Jewish community.

But Australian Progressive Party state leader Edward Carroll, who was among those arrested on Saturday, said the laws “do not protect us as Jewish people.