Pro-Palestine protesters scale roof of Australia's parliament

Pro-Palestine protesters climbed the roof of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday and unfurled banners, one saying Palestine will be free, and accused Israel of war crimes, in a serious security breach condemned by legislators.

Four people dressed in dark clothes stood on the roof of the building for about an hour, unfurling black banners including one reading “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, a common refrain of pro-Palestine protesters.

One of the protesters gave a speech using a megaphone accusing the Israeli government of war crimes, an accusation it rejects.

“We will not forget, we will not forgive and we will continue to resist,” the protester said.

A handful of police and security advised people not to walk directly under the protest at the main entrance to the building, while more were seen on the roof attempting to remove the protesters, a Reuters witness said.

The protesters packed up their banners before being led away by waiting police at about 11.30am local time (0130 GMT).

“This is a serious breach of the parliament's security,” opposition home affairs spokesperson James Paterson said in a post on social media platform X.

“The building was modified at great expense to prevent incursions like this. An investigation is required.”

The war in Gaza began when Hamas gunmen burst into southern Israel on October 7, killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages back into Gaza, Israel says.

The offensive launched by Israel in retaliation has killed nearly 38,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has left the heavily built-up coastal enclave in ruins.

Both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war, a UN inquiry found last month, saying that Israel's actions also constituted crimes against humanity because of the immense civilian losses.

Since the war began Australia has been the site of several pro-Palestine protests, including weekly demonstrations in major cities and a months-long occupation of university campuses.

The ruling Labor Party indefinitely suspended a senator, Fatima Payman, on Monday after she crossed the floor of the Senate to vote in favour of a motion backing Palestinian statehood.

Australia does not currently recognise Palestinian statehood, though foreign minister Penny Wong said in May it could do so before a formal peace process between Israel and Palestinian authorities is complete.

Reuters