Queensland’s ‘from the river to the sea’ laws likened to Bjelke-Petersen era anti-protest regime

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Andrew MessengerMarch 12, 2026 at 09:14 AM

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short article 1 min

Queensland's new hate speech laws, which took effect recently, are facing criticism and comparisons to the Bjelke-Petersen era's anti-protest measures. The laws have sparked controversy, particularly regarding the arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters using the phrase "from the river to the sea." A Greens MP characterized the police response as resembling an authoritarian state. The laws were passed by parliament last week, prompting debate over their potential impact on free speech and protest rights. Health Minister Tim Nicholls also clarified that the phrase was not used by the alleged Bondi terror attack gunman.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bondi 40% Naveed Akram 60% Greens MP 60% Tim Nicholls 70% Queensland ×290%

Keywords

hate speech laws 90% from the river to the sea 80% queensland 70% pro-palestinian protesters 70% authoritarian police state 60% protest 60% greens mp 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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hate speech laws from the river to the sea queensland pro-palestinian protesters authoritarian police state protest greens mp

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