Hezbollah brought peace to Lebanon for 18 years by driving out the Israeli occupation. It’s leader since 1992, Hassan Nasrallah gave his life for Palestine. Nasrallah lost his life by going to headquarters in Dahiya in Beirut to negotiate a ceasefire on the northern front. Neither Israel nor its partner in the genocide, the United States, want peace in Palestine or Lebanon. Both parties are intentionally slaughtering civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and in Lebanon.
Meanwhile in Brisbane Zionists have attacked people campaigning for Justice in Palestine. False accusations brought about the banning of the Palestine Fair Trade Stall in the West End markets. Greens counciller Trina Massey has been fined by Brisbane City Council for publishing the story of an al Nakba survivor. These are only a couple of examples of the attacks being orchestrated by supporters of the genocidal Israel.
A number of people have been arrested on trumped ups charges merely for showing their solidarity with the people in Palestine. For example, one activist will her a verdict on charges arising from May Day. The judgement will be handed down on Wednesday, 23 October, at the Brisbane Magistrate’s Court in George Street. If convicted, her lawyer says she’ll go to jail. People should come in solidarity on that morning at 9 am.
Now, Queensland police want to ban the carrying of images of resistance leaders or flags of resistance. This, despite the ICJ and ICC having indicated complicity in the genocide of Palestinians, is unlawful.
Enter the Queensland Police Force with this direction to march organisers for a commemoration of one year’s resistance against the occupation and against the genocide. Police wrongly require that:
Event organisers actively discourage the display of Hezbollah flags (or other items that display Hezbollah symbols); QPS will engage with persons displaying Hezbollah symbols to educate and encourage them to put them away; QPS may take action if the situation cannot be resolved by education and negotiation.
My advice to people attending the 13 October commemoration is this.
The relevant legislation is the COMMONWEALTH COUNTER-TERRORISM LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (PROHIBITED HATE SYMBOLS AND OTHER MEASURES) ACT 2023 (‘the act’).
Nowhere in ‘the act’ is the carrying of a Hezbollah or Hamas flag proscribed. No one in Justice for Palestine Magan-djin is advocating terrorism. Nor is it unlawful to carry a photograph of Hassan Nasrallah, Mawan Baghouti, Yahya Sinwar or, for that matter, any of the Palestinian leaders in the resistance against Israeli occupation.
Should police attempt to intervene participants, marshalls and organisers should be aware that the Peaceful assembly Act 1992 provides immunity from prosecution to participants in the public assembly and march.
If police attempt to intervene using their powers under the police powers and responsibilities act any arrest that arises will be unlawful.
Finally, it is not for police to decide what is reasonable or unreasonable in a proposed public assembly. If tpolice should attempt to say the carrying of a flag or a pictures of resistance leaders is unreasonable, they must take that before a presiding magistrate to have that condition imposed on the rally or march. Besides no one in Brisbane carries Hezbollah flags or pictures of Hassan Nasrallah.
Under the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992, it is not for police to determine if conduct of the public assembly is lawful or unlawful. That is a job for a magistrate.
People should take heed of the first reading speech by the attorney general Dean Wells on the introduction of the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992
Ian Curr
11 October 2024