Australia
Victorian Liberals pledge to ban controversial protest chant
The Victorian Coalition plans to outlaw the chant under incitement to violence laws if it wins the next state election.
The Victorian Coalition has pledged to ban the controversial protest chant 'globalise the intifada' if it wins the next state election, framing the policy as a necessary measure to combat hate speech.
According to reporting in a wire service report, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson announced that the phrase would be outlawed under proposed changes to the state's incitement to violence laws. The Coalition intends to make the ban a priority should it form government, arguing that the slogan incites violence and threatens community cohesion.
Under the proposed plan, the specific phrase would be targeted under reformed incitement legislation. However, the exact legal mechanisms the Coalition would use to enforce the ban, as well as the specific penalties that individuals could face for using the chant in public, remain unconfirmed.
The announcement follows months of heightened tensions and regular street protests in Melbourne, where the chant has occasionally been used by pro-Palestine demonstrators. The phrase has been a point of significant friction, with Jewish community groups arguing it is an incitement to violence against Jewish people, while some protest organisers defend it as a call for global solidarity and resistance.
Civil liberties organisations have previously cautioned against banning specific words or political slogans, raising concerns about the implications for freedom of speech and the practicalities of police enforcement during large-scale public demonstrations. How Victorian police would manage the enforcement of such a ban during active protests is not yet clear.
With the next state election not scheduled until late 2026, the proposal represents an early policy marker for the Victorian Opposition as it seeks to position itself on issues of law, order and social cohesion.
What to watch next is whether the Victorian Labor government will reject the proposal or offer its own legislative amendments to address offensive protest language.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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