Protests take over from pageantry as parliament returns

Protests in and around Parliament House threatened to disrupt proceedings as the nation’s politicians went through the traditional ceremonies of being sworn in.

Pomp and ceremony were on full display as MPs gathered in Canberra for the opening of federal parliament.

But as formal traditions dating back hundreds of years played out at Parliament House, protests called for action on conflict in the Middle East.

During Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s speech laying out the priorities for the three years ahead, more than a dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators were detained after protesting inside the foyer of parliament, before being removed from the building.

Hundreds of protesters called for sanctions on Israel on the lawns of parliament, with one woman arrested, federal police say.

Traffic around Parliament House was also disrupted by the protests.

As the governor-general read her speech, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi held a silent protest by holding a sign that read: “Gaza is starving. Words won’t feed them. Sanction Israel”.

Senate President Sue Lines, re-elected to the role last week, swiftly condemned the behaviour.

“Senator Faruqi, you are a deputy leader, I expect you to show some leadership on behaviour in this chamber,” she said. “Your use of props was disorderly and disrespectful. Particularly on the opening of the 48th Parliament, which represents a pinnacle in our democracy.”

Lines added that she would “take time to further consider this matter” and return to the Senate with a ruling, suggesting possible disciplinary consequences.

Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, condemned Senator Mehreen Faruqi’s protest in Parliament as “the master of pointless stunts that make her radical base feel good but change nothing.” Responding to her sign that read “words won’t feed them,” Ryvchin noted the contradiction: “as though her sign will.”

He stated that sanctioning Israel would not improve conditions in Gaza and said, “the only way to end the horrific cost of war is by ending the war itself.” If Senator Faruqi genuinely wished to alleviate suffering, Ryvchin said, she should “urge the butchers that rule it to surrender, or at least accept the internationally brokered ceasefire that Israel accepted weeks ago.”

Faruqi’s protest was part of a broader campaign by the Greens to pressure the Albanese government into adopting harsher measures against Israel, including comprehensive diplomatic and economic sanctions. The party has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza and has refused to condemn Hamas by name. On 6 November 2023, Faruqi led a walkout during Senate question time, describing the Albanese government as “gutless, heartless cowards” for failing to call for a Gaza ceasefire. She insisted the Greens were “bringing the people’s protest into parliament” and accused major parties of ignoring the “humanitarian devastation” unfolding in Gaza.

Outside Parliament House, several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered, waving flags and chanting slogans. Some attempted to breach security barriers and were removed by police.

Jewish communal leaders and commentators have warned that protests such as Faruqi’s, especially when performed inside Parliament, do not merely reflect political dissent but contribute to a broader erosion of civility and democratic integrity.

AAP