Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson has promised to outlaw the phrase 'globalise the intifada' if her party wins the upcoming state election. The pledge follows Queensland's recent legislation banning the phrase, which Wilson argues incites violence against the Jewish community. Used at pro-Palestine protests in Melbourne, the term's meaning is debated, with many in the Jewish community viewing it as hateful. Wilson cited concerns about safety and community cohesion, noting families and Jewish residents avoid Melbourne's CBD on weekends due to protests. The move aims to reduce tensions and protect the Jewish community from perceived threats.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in parliamentary elections. He said on Sunday that the Student List had won, with an estimated 135 to 140 seats, while his party would take about 105. Vučić called the snap vote in September after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and creeping authoritarianism. Turnout was nearly 70 per cent, the highest since the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992. Supporters celebrated in the streets of Belgrade after the announcement.
Thousands of people rallied at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, demanding an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attack by Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to hold such an inquiry, while opposition leaders have pledged one. Protesters said Israel's democracy is under threat and called for a change of government ahead of Tuesday's election. Several speakers, including families of victims and hostages, said the country needs accountability. Netanyahu has said the only problem on October 7 was that he was not woken when the attack began.
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Some New South Wales MPs say a security briefing left them more worried about their protection in parliament. Liberal MP Alister Henskens said some MPs were in tears because the answers were inadequate. The concern followed an attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines in Victoria and an anti-coal protester who jumped onto the parliament floor last week. Henskens criticised the slowness of the security response. Speaker Greg Piper said additional special constables had been assigned after the breach.
More than 1000 people rallied at Matilda Bay on Sunday against the State Government's proposed ferry terminal, and opponents will take their campaign to Parliament House on November 12. Protesters want the project paused, a comparative review with the JoJo's site, and the release of full reports. Critics raise concerns about tree removal, seagrass, wildlife, the University of WA Boat Club and ferry links to Fremantle. The State Government says more than 50 stakeholder groups have been consulted, that the terminal avoids dredging, and that a construction tender is expected to be awarded in coming months.
Pastor Derek Reimer has been found guilty of criminal mischief and causing a disturbance after protesting Drag Story hours at Calgary libraries. The prosecution is seeking two years of additional probation and social media restrictions. Reimer has faced multiple trials and 111 days in jail over the past four years. He plans to appeal the decision, with supporters raising funds for his legal defence.
BHP shareholders will meet at Sydney Showgrounds on Thursday, the first annual meeting under chief executive Brandon Craig. The miner reported copper production of 400,000 tonnes in the September quarter, down 19 per cent from the June quarter and below analyst expectations. It blamed severe weather and a fatality at its Escondida mine in Chile. Sharesies Australia's Jacki Neumann said investors will want confidence in cost control and copper returns. Pacific Climate Warriors plan to protest outside the meeting against coal expansion projects.
BHP shareholders will meet at Sydney Showgrounds on Thursday, the first annual meeting under chief executive Brandon Craig. The miner reported copper production of 400,000 tonnes in the September quarter, down 19 per cent from the June quarter and below analyst expectations. It blamed severe weather and a fatality at its Escondida mine in Chile. Sharesies Australia's Jacki Neumann said investors will want confidence in cost control and copper returns. Pacific Climate Warriors plan to protest outside the meeting against coal expansion projects.
A teenage student is quoted urging classmates to join another protest against Pauline Hanson and her party, which she labels fascist. The call was made in the context of Remembrance Day events.
More than 50 people joined a rally organised by Lock the Gate Alliance to call for an end to coal mining. Speakers said the swift parrot is being endangered by New South Wales approvals of new coal and gas projects. Nick Clyde said there are 17 coal mine expansion projects in the pipeline in the state. Sally Hunter asked people to urge the government to let the Maules Creek mine lease lapse and called for a plan to move mining jobs into renewable industries.
More than 50 people joined a rally organised by Lock the Gate Alliance to call for an end to coal mining. Speakers said the swift parrot is being endangered by New South Wales approvals of new coal and gas projects. Nick Clyde said there are 17 coal mine expansion projects in the pipeline in the state. Sally Hunter asked people to urge the government to let the Maules Creek mine lease lapse and called for a plan to move mining jobs into renewable industries.
Bodycam footage from a Sydney anti-Isaac Herzog protest has been aired in the Downing Centre local court. The video shows an officer running at Wenzel Auch and pushing him to the ground, which his lawyer described as an unlawful use of force. Auch was charged with assaulting police, but that charge was withdrawn in August. Lawyers for 17 protesters are seeking internal police documents ahead of a joint trial due in July 2027. Police have dropped charges against 11 individuals in total, and intend to challenge a ruling requiring them to release the documents.
Police have arrested two protesters during a stand-off over the removal of culturally significant trees on the Western Highway in western Victoria. The 12-kilometre duplication between Buangor and Ararat has long been contentious because the trees are sacred to Djab Wurrung people. Yaraan Couzens-Bundle said about 20 protesters at the site opposed removing any culturally significant trees and did not endorse a cultural management plan approved in March. Police said a man and a woman were arrested for refusing to leave a restricted access area and were released pending summons.
An ombudsman report has found the University of Technology Sydney alienated Jewish students and must issue several apologies over how it handled complaints tied to a campus event. The National Student Ombudsman's report makes seven recommendations, including apologies to students who complained about a pro-Palestine rally and to the Australasian Union of Jewish Students for an incorrect external review finding. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the university needed real change, not just apologies. UTS vice-chancellor Andrew Parfitt accepted that individual complaints were poorly handled and said the university had zero tolerance for anti-Semitism.
Footage shown in a Sydney local court allegedly shows police using unlawful force at a Town Hall protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit. Adam Adelpour and 15 other protesters face trial next year on charges including assaulting police. Defence lawyer Nick Hanna says the footage shows unlawful arrests and excessive force, including police grabbing protesters by the head or neck. The defence is seeking communications between senior officers and NSW ministers. Police have claimed public interest immunity over some documents, and the matter returns to court on October 30.
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A life-sized statue of Florida governor Ron DeSantis melted in Tallahassee to protest his climate crisis inaction. The gallium statue, which melts at 29.8C, revealed a skull beneath his face. Environmentalists said it symbolised DeSantis’s eight-year tenure, during which he blocked local pollution cuts and removed climate terms from state law. DeSantis has rejected climate change, calling it a “radical agenda”. Florida faces rising sea levels and powerful hurricanes, with insurers exiting due to climate-related damage.
The University of Technology Sydney mishandled complaints made by Jewish students after an on-campus pro-Palestine protest, according to the National Student Ombudsman. The ombudsman has made seven recommendations to the university, including that it apologise to the students and review its on-campus protest policy. Two students received no response to their complaints, which breached the university's own policy, while others received a generic reply. The university said it had apologised and accepted its handling was inadequate.
Police have detained a group of Greenpeace campaigners who had occupied gas equipment for two days at Woodside's Scarborough field, offshore from Western Australia. The protesters are opposing the company's proposal to extract gas close to Scott Reef, an action the organisation argues would seriously harm sea life and the climate. Greenpeace is urging the Commonwealth government to turn down the scheme.
Advocates protested outside Federal Health Minister Mark Butler's office in Port Adelaide last Friday, as Anti-Poverty Week drew to a close. The protest was held to call for action on poverty. Their concerns included figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which reports that people receiving welfare payments have a mortality rate nine times higher than other Australians. Anti-Poverty Week ends on Saturday, October 17.
Two activists have been charged after scaling a floating platform at Woodside's Scarborough gas site off Western Australia. The men spent a night on the platform on Saturday, protesting what they say are environmental threats to the nearby Scott Reef. Police removed them and they face a charge of interfering with offshore petroleum operations, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. They are due in the Karratha Magistrates Court on Monday. Greenpeace says the protest was safe and peaceful, while Woodside calls it dangerous, reckless and illegal.
