Pro-Palestinian protesters climb roof of Australia's Parliament house
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Canberra: In a dramatic security breach at Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, pro-Palestinian protesters climbed onto the roof on Thursday and unfurled banners condemning Israel and advocating for Palestinian freedom, according to Reuters.
One banner read "Palestine will be free," while another accused Israel of war crimes, prompting swift condemnation from lawmakers.
Four protesters, dressed in dark clothing, stood atop the building for about an hour, displaying banners including one with the slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a common chant among pro-Palestinian activists. Using a megaphone, one protester delivered a speech accusing the Israeli government of committing war crimes, which Israel denies. "We will not forget, we will not forgive, and we will continue to resist," the protester declared.
Police and security personnel advised people to avoid the main entrance under the protest site and were later seen attempting to remove the protesters from the roof. By around 11:30 AM local time, the protesters had packed up their banners and were escorted away by police.
Opposition Home Affairs spokesperson James Paterson condemned the incident on social media platform X, calling it a "serious breach of the Parliament's security."