The state government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia intends to prohibit the phrase "globalise the intifada" as part of broader legislative adjustments. NSW Premier Chris Minns has also called for a Royal Commission into the recent Bondi attack, an event that resulted in 15 fatalities and numerous injuries.
Legislative Proposals
Premier Minns plans to reconvene the state parliament next week to enact stricter hate speech and gun control laws. He has also indicated an intention to tighten protest regulations, stating a goal of encouraging "a summer of calm." Minns confirmed efforts to formally classify the chant "globalise the intifada" as hate speech.
Context of "Intifada"
Two individuals were recently arrested in central London during a demonstration for allegedly using slogans involving the term "intifada." The term originated during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987. Interpretations of the term vary; some consider it a call for violence against Jewish people, while others describe it as an appeal for peaceful resistance to Israel's occupation and actions in Gaza.
Related Events and Government Actions
The Bondi attack, which occurred last Sunday, involved two gunmen believed to be motivated by "Islamic State ideology." In response, Australian state and federal governments have announced a series of measures aimed at countering extremism.
Premier Minns, alongside NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, attended the funeral of a 10-year-old individual who was among the fatalities of the Bondi shooting, where Minns read a poem. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has initiated a new gun buyback program designed to acquire and destroy surplus, newly prohibited, and illegal firearms, with predictions of hundreds of thousands of weapons being collected.
On Saturday, approximately 1,000 lifeguards conducted a tribute by lining up arm-to-arm facing the ocean at Bondi Beach. Similar memorials were observed at other beaches across Australia involving surf lifesaving teams.