Jewish Man Among First Charged Under Queensland's Controversial Pro-Palestinian Phrase Ban
Stephen Heydt, a 73-year-old Jewish clinical psychologist, woke up on Saturday, put on a custom-made T-shirt, and hobbled out the door with a walking stick to speak at a rally in central Brisbane. Almost immediately, he was arrested by a large and heavily armed contingent of police, becoming one of the first people in Queensland charged under new laws designed to crack down on antisemitic hate speech.
Heydt was charged with two offences: one for the shirt he wore and one for the chanting during his speech. The T-shirt displayed the phrase "Jews for a free Palestine from the river to the sea", which is now prohibited under Queensland legislation. He had the shirt printed in Melbourne to avoid getting local businesses in trouble.
Weekend of Arrests and Civil Liberties Concerns
Heydt was one of 22 people arrested over the weekend for displaying or reciting banned expressions frequently used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. This brings the total number of arrests under the new laws to 25. Among those detained was Palestinian Australian student Zac Karaniki, who described a "huge wave of cops" descending on the protest before he was taken away in a paddy wagon and held in a watch house for eight hours.
The banned phrases include "from the river to the sea" and "globalise the intifada". Under the new laws, saying these phrases in a way that could cause "menace, harassment or offence" carries a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment. Police confiscated Heydt's shirt as evidence.
Historical Parallels and Legal Challenges
Criminal lawyer Terry O'Gorman has drawn stark comparisons between the current crackdown and the police repression under former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen in the 1970s. O'Gorman, a prominent figure in civil liberties battles, noted that Bjelke-Petersen's 1977 amendment to the traffic act effectively suppressed street protests, leading to mass arrests.
"This is very reminiscent, it is a very similar scenario to what occurred in October 77," O'Gorman said. "This is the first major freedom of speech, civil liberties or public rally issue in Queensland since." He added that activists would have a strong case to challenge the laws in court, arguing they are politically motivated.
Divergent Interpretations and Political Responses
Heydt, who fled apartheid-era South Africa and has worked treating trauma victims in Gaza and the West Bank, interprets the banned phrase as advocating for people's inalienable right to freedom. "I believe it's about people's inalienable right to be free," he said.
Edward Carroll, another Jewish speaker arrested at the rally, emphasized the importance of Jewish voices in the pro-Palestine movement. "Because these laws have nothing to do with Jewish safety and everything to do with silencing dissent against the state of Israel," the 36-year-old transport worker stated.
In contrast, Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg argued that the phrase has been used by terrorist groups since the 1960s and calls for annihilation. "Brisbane should be a city of inclusion but there is no room on our streets for a terrorist slogan that calls for the annihilation of others," Steinberg said.
Premier David Crisafulli defended the laws, stating they strike a balance between allowing protest and stamping out phrases he claims amount to calls for genocide. He directly linked the banned expressions to the recent terror attack at Bondi.
Activist Resistance and Future Legal Battles
Student activist William Sim, a Mununjali man arrested alongside Karaniki, said he sees parallels between the Palestinian cause and Indigenous struggles in Australia. He plans to contest the charges "all the way".
The activist group Justice for Palestine Magan-djin has announced plans to coordinate a High Court challenge, arguing the laws are invalid under the Australian constitution. As the debate over free speech versus hate speech intensifies, Queensland finds itself at the center of a national conversation about civil liberties and political expression.
