Queensland lawmakers are preparing to introduce new hate speech legislation that could make certain chants a criminal offense. If the proposal becomes law, people who publicly repeat the phrase could face penalties including prison time of up to two years.
The plan is part of a wider push by the state government to tighten rules around extremist speech and public intimidation. Officials say the legislation would also outlaw the display of symbols linked to groups such as ISIS, Nazis, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
The push for stronger laws comes after months of tension in Australia following a deadly terror attack at Bondi Beach last December. The incident happened during a Hanukkah celebration where a large crowd had gathered near the Sydney shoreline.
According to investigators, two gunmen allegedly carried out the attack. The suspects were later identified as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, and authorities described the violence as an anti-Semitic terrorist act.
Witnesses said shots rang out across the crowded event and people scrambled for safety. Fifteen victims lost their lives that day, including a ten-year-old girl who had been attending the holiday gathering with family members.
Police later revealed that several homemade explosive devices were thrown toward the crowd during the attack, though none detonated. Officers also located another bomb inside a vehicle believed to be connected to one of the suspected gunmen.
The killings shocked the country and became the worst mass violence Australia had seen since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. In that tragedy, thirty five people were killed in a shooting carried out by Martin Bryant in Tasmania.
Authorities also noted that the Bondi incident marked the first terrorist attack in Australian history that deliberately targeted the Jewish community. The violence happened not long after an anti Semitic attack on a synagogue in Manchester in the United Kingdom.
In response, Australia’s National Cabinet agreed to strengthen gun regulations and expand a national buyback program. Leaders also began pushing for tighter hate speech laws aimed at preventing rhetoric they believe can fuel hostility.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli confirmed that the new reforms would be introduced to state parliament. Explaining the decision, he said: “We called this out from the beginning, we said we’d act, and through this legislation, we are delivering a strong and considered response.”
He continued: “This is about drawing a clear line – and stamping out the embers of hatred that were allowed to burn unchecked for too long – to ensure we protect Queenslanders.”
Attorney General Deb Frecklington also supported the move, stating: “These sayings have no place in Queensland, when they are used to incite hatred, offence and menace.”
One slogan that lawmakers want to include in the ban is the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The phrase refers to land stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Another phrase expected to fall under the legislation is “globalize the intifada.” If the law is passed, authorities say chanting or displaying those words publicly could result in criminal charges.
Jewish community leaders in Queensland have welcomed the proposal. Jason Steinberg, president of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, said: “Antisemitism and hate have no place in Queensland.”
He added: “Our community greatly appreciates the commitment by the Crisafulli government to ensure Jewish Queenslanders can live, work and play just like any other Queenslander.”
Steinberg also said: “his bill moves beyond words and delivers real, practical protections for our community and for all people targeted by hate.”
Some activists oppose the proposal, arguing that the phrases are often used to express support for Palestinian rights rather than violence. If passed, the measure would make Queensland the first Australian state to formally outlaw the phrase “From the river to the sea.”
