The first person alleged to have chanted “from the river to the sea” during a pro-Palestine protest in Brisbane has appeared in court for the first time.
Liam James Parry, 34, was arrested in March and charged under Queensland’s new anti-hate laws introduced through parliament in February.
As part of the new laws, the phrases “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” became an offence, with the slogans banned from public distribution, publication, public display or public recitation when used to cause menace, harassment or offence.
Offending by using these slogans in such a manner now attracts a maximum penalty of two years’ prison.
While proponents of the slogans claim the meanings have been misinterpreted, Jewish groups, including the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), state the slogans advocate for the genocide of Israel and its citizens.
Speaking to media following a brief court appearance on April 8, Parry said he would be contesting the charges which he labelled “surreal and dangerous.”
“It’s an important moment in Queensland right now. the government is trying to criminalise pro-Palestine advocacy,” he said in comments obtained by AAP.
“We can’t accept that.
“I don’t think there was anything hateful or menacing about my speech. My speech was about standing up for the people of Palestine.”
Parry’s case has been adjourned for three weeks, and he will remain on bail in the interim.
A crowd of pro-Palestine protesters also gathered outside the court.
A protester, identified as Mark Gillespie, was reportedly outside the court wearing a sign reading “from the sea to the river Palestine will live forever,” prompting police intervention.
Police confirmed that they had engaged with a man at the scene regarding a sign outside the court, but said no one was detained or arrested during the protest.
“The Queensland Police Service will continue to investigate matters relating to alleged prohibited expressions and take appropriate action in accordance with the law,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
Queensland’s Anti-Hate Laws
The Queensland government introduced a number of new laws this year in a move to prevent anti-Semitism and hate crimes in the wake of the Bondi terror attack on Dec. 14, 2025.
The amendments increase penalties for assaulting or threatening a person officiating a religious ceremony to up to five years and introduces a new offence of impeding or harassing people attending religious services with a maximum of three years’ jail.
A new offence also applies to wilfully damaging places of worship, an offence that now holds a maximum seven-year sentence.
Displaying terror symbols in Australia now comes with a maximum of two years’ jail, while the Hamas flag and emblem, the ISIS flag, the Hezbollah emblem, and Nazi symbols are also prohibited.
““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,” Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said in an earlier statement.
Dangers of Unchecked Sentiments: AJA
AJA President Robert Gregory says governments must exercise great caution when criminalising speech.
“The Queensland government has taken a more targeted approach than measures introduced federally or in other states,” he told The Epoch Times.
“Australia is experiencing a surge in anti-Semitism, and the attack at Bondi has shown where unchecked incitement can lead.
“For most of the Jewish community, the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ is understood as a call for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state, Israel, which spans from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.”
Gregory said the phrase had also been widely used by the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas.
Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies President Jason Steinberg earlier stated Jews felt safer under the new laws.
“This is not only a welcome and necessary step for Jewish people, it is vital for rebuilding the confidence we have lost as hatred has run rampant,” he said.
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