More info on the Queensland laws: theguardian.com/…/queensland-pro-palestinian-phra…
Again, why does any country who is not Israel care at all about this? Does Australia have a military base there?
An 18-year-old woman in Queensland faces two years in jail for wearing a shirt that says "from the river to the sea."
Submitted 12 hours ago by SarahFromOz@lemmy.world to australia@aussie.zone
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/c0ba1bdc-58d0-4c1c-9560-edc11c897e23.mp4
Comments
Zephorah@discuss.online 10 hours ago
mumphert@lemmy.ml 8 hours ago
The Coalition were all about free speech when Andrew Bolt published a series of articles explicitly attacking and trying to humiliate named Aboriginal people on the basis of (what he decided was) their race. They tried to weaken the racial discrimination act. Brandis even said Australians have “a right to be bigots” - this was only 12 years ago. The double standard is breathtaking.
Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 3 hours ago
I’m gona jump in to defend Brandis a little here and say his views on these things are usually ideologically consistent. I don’t know if he’s been asked specifically about this case, but his response (if he decided to respond), would likely be worth listening to. Even if disagreeable.
mortemtyrannis@lemmy.ml 5 hours ago
Not at all shocking because it was never really a double standard.
The LNP exists to maintain the current power structures of Australia. If you in any way threaten that structure (based on Anglo-European patriarchal values) the LNP will be against you. If you uphold those values they will support you.
node2527@lemy.lol 6 hours ago
What a fucking legend.
SarahFromOz@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
Are we ok with this people?
oneser@lemmy.zip 12 hours ago
Obviously, assuming this is the whole story, no. Are there any planned protests? Is there an open donation box for this person’s legal fees open? Is there any other way in which the average person can help?
I’m getting sick of rhetorical questions about tyrannical governments, without any effort made to show people what they realistically can do to help.
zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 11 hours ago
Is there an open donation box for this person’s legal fees open?
Just had a look and found this one: chuffed.org/…/173177-justice-for-palestine-legal-…
Are there any planned protests?
Justice for Palestine Magan-Djin (indigenous name for Brisbane) has announced a ‘weekend of action’ against the laws on the 18th-19th of April: www.instagram.com/p/DVvfrhOk20n/
SamuraiBeandog@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
Just be outraged online, bro, you’ll be doing your part.
fizzle@quokk.au 11 hours ago
No.
Sure AF doesn’t feel like “hatred”.
porcelainpitcher@lemmy.today 1 hour ago
This is a John Farnham appreciation shirt! “TWO STRONG HEARTS. We stick together from the River to the Sea! Ruuuning free!” See. All good.
Gork@sopuli.xyz 11 hours ago
Does Australia not have freeze peach laws in general? Asking as an ignorant Yank.
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 10 hours ago
Its a very recent addition that creates some exceptions to australian free speech protections under the guise of preventing combatting anti-semitism. Basically just the Israel lobby getting their personal laws.
Seagoon_@aussie.zone 10 hours ago
From the river to the sea is not per se anti Jewish, Hamas has said that includes killing all 1.75 million Israeli Sunni Muslims too.
Zagorath@aussie.zone 7 hours ago
Australia’s constitution has been interpreted by our High Court to contain an implied right to freedom of political communication. Restrictions on that right may be constitutional if they are (1) for a valid purpose and are (2) narrowly targeted towards that purpose.
The law she was arrested under was only passed by the Queensland state Parliament earlier this week (or late last week? I forget). It is definitely going to face constitutional challenge, and there is a very good chance it is ruled struck down. This is because the law literally outlaws two specific phrases from one side of a political issue, and is likely to be seen as stifling free flow of political discourse, rather than being a more “content-neutral” law.
This article, written by a constitutional scholar, gives some great insight: theguardian.com/…/the-lnps-phrase-banning-law-is-…
nevetsg@aussie.zone 11 hours ago
We have a lot of laws and legal interpritation, but it isnt written into our constitution like the US.
joelfromaus@aussie.zone 10 hours ago
Pollies like to say free speech is “implied” when it supports them and point out that it’s not a right when it doesn’t support them.
It’s a funny ol’ system.
fizzle@quokk.au 7 hours ago
It’s complicated.
It’s not a constitutional right.
However, there’s a lot of case law that supports the rights of citizens to express their thoughts about governments. All levels all processes, with the exception of sedition, treason, national security, et cetera.
We do have strong defamation laws. There was a case a few years ago where a politician was found to have been “defamed” by another politician with respect to comments that were made.
We also have recently strengthened hate speech laws, which is the issue in this specific picture.
Finally spreading information that might compromise national security, and publications showing violence or other offensive content.
In practice, I expect that the situation is similar to what it was in pre-Trump America. However, it’s true that in theory the government could pass a law saying you’re not allowed to say anything bad about the government.
10 years ago any self respecting American would have pointed out how inferior our system is and that we don’t have any rights or freedoms. I feel like that imbalance has shifted however.
SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 7 hours ago
There are limits to it even in the us for example if you say something slightly offending about the president.
prex@aussie.zone 11 hours ago
I got down voted last time for pointing out that “between the river and the sea” was the motto of the town of mosman park
mech@feddit.org 3 hours ago
Yes, if you change the words and the context, the meaning changes.
“From the river to the sea” is the rallying cry of various groups who want to destroy Israel and remove the people who were born and live there, even though the slogan doesn’t literally say it.
So maybe use a different slogan if you want something different?qevlarr@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
It’s not surprising that antisemites would also protest Israel, but that doesn’t mean we should stop protesting Israel. There’s nothing more to it. We should not fall for our opponent’s tricks trying to paint us as antisemites
ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 11 hours ago
It’s also a John Farnham song
Zagorath@aussie.zone 7 hours ago
Close. There are two potentially relevant Farnam songs that may have been conflated in this discourse. One is That’s Freedom, which includes the lines “From the mountain to the valley / From the ocean to the alley / From the highway to the river”. And the other is Two Strong Hearts, which repeatedly uses the line “Reaching out forever like a river to the sea”. Neither quite uses “from the river to the sea”, but together they give the same sort of impression.
stoy@lemmy.zip 10 hours ago
Anyone know how likely it is for her to be given the max sentence?
galoisghost@aussie.zone 10 hours ago
The public prosecutor would need to prove the shirt was used to “menace, harassment or offence”. Even a mediocre defence lawyer should be able to have the charges thrown out.
A good lawyer will take it to the High Court of Australia and get the legislation thrown out.
zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 6 hours ago
This protester’s charges have been resolved by their acceptance of an ‘adult caution’, so they won’t be facing any more legal proceedings over this incident. More details in my comment here: aussie.zone/post/30509630/21880036
FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 8 hours ago
OP is lying - she wasn’t even charged. She was given a warning.
ptolemai@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
Another article says protesters were charged , but left off with ‘caution’ theguardian.com/…/two-protesters-arrested-on-firs…
SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 10 hours ago
From Canada to Mexico, Iran will be free?
eureka@aussie.zone 10 hours ago
SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 9 hours ago
Believe it or not…
Mac@mander.xyz 8 hours ago
I do believe this can be referred to as queen shit.
Wordplay with Queensland unintended.
OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
What about if I wore a South China Sea shirt? Would I get praised or arrested?
FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 8 hours ago
This is a complete lie - she was given a warning, nothing more.
zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 6 hours ago
She was arrested and charged, and took the option of receiving an ‘adult caution’. (Mentioned in this Guardian article.)
I think it would be misleading to say that’s ‘a warning and nothing more’.
If she hadn’t opted for the ‘adult caution’ - which requires that you don’t deny committing the offence - then she’d still be facing charges and gaol time.
So I reckon ‘complete lie’ might be a bit uncharitable, when really the information is just out of date.
Thanks for raising the point though, good to hear this protester doesn’t have legal proceedings hanging over their head.
arin@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
Warning for what
Seagoon_@aussie.zone 10 hours ago
Nope.
I don’t like it in a hundred ways but making draconian laws is not the way to have political discourse.
lmdnw@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
Just because something is illegal, doesn’t make it wrong and just because something is legal, doesn’t make it right. We need more illegal action against those who oppress legally.
18107@aussie.zone 8 hours ago
Best example: the holocaust was legal, hiding Jews to save their lives was illegal.
taygaloocat@leminal.space 2 hours ago
And yet now the Jews are the oppressors/instigators
What a world.