The Australian state of Latest South Wales is proposing to ban public displays of Islamic State group flags or extremist symbols after a mass shooting driven by antisemitism killed 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Under draft laws to be debated by the state Parliament, publicly displaying the IS flag or symbols from other extremist groups shall be offenses punishable by as much as two years in prison and fines.
The state’s premier, Chris Minns, also said chants of “globalize the intifada” shall be banned and police could be given greater powers to demand protesters remove face coverings at demonstrations.
“Hate speech or incitement of hatred has no place in our society,” Minns said Saturday.
The Arabic word intifada is translated as “rebellion.”
While pro-Palestinian demonstrators say the slogan describes the worldwide protests against the conflict in Gaza, which has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, Jewish leaders say it inflames tensions and encourages attacks on Jews.
“Horrific, recent events have shown that the mantra ‘globalize the intifada’ is hate speech and encourages violence in our community,” Minns told reporters. “You’re running a really dangerous racket when you’re pondering of using that phrase.”
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Latest South Wales politicians are expected to debate the reforms on Monday after the premier recalled parliament.
Police said Sunday’s attack, targeting a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s most famous beach, was “a terrorist attack inspired by (the) Islamic State ” group. Police said they found two homemade IS flags within the vehicle utilized by the 2 suspects.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to introduce measures to curb radicalization and hate, including broadening the definition of hate speech offenses for preachers and leaders who promote violence, and toughening punishments for such crimes.
The proposals would also designate some groups as hateful and permit judges to think about hate as an aggravating think about cases of online threats and harassment.
Albanese has also announced plans to tighten Australia’s already strict gun laws.
The prime minister, who joined the Jewish community at Sydney’s Great Synagogue on Friday, said “the spirit of our Jewish Australian community is totally unbreakable.”
“Irrespective of how dark things were, and proceed to be, light will triumph,” he added.
Authorities said the country will hold a National Day of Reflection on Sunday, the ultimate day of Hanukkah, in honor of the victims.
Flags shall be flown at half-mast from all official buildings, and Albanese will join others at Bondi on Sunday to look at a minute of silence at 6:47 p.m., the time when police received the primary reports of gunfire.
Police and community leaders have also pointed to the actions of Ahmed Al Ahmed, a Syrian-born man, who helped people flee the scene in the course of the attack.
An Australian business listed a fundraiser on GoFundMe that has raised greater than $2.5 million for Bondi hero Ahmed al Ahmed, who tackled one in all the perpetrators to the bottom.
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