After scaling the roof of Australia’s Parliament House, four protesters in favor of Palestine were arrested

In a security lapse on Thursday, four pro-Palestine demonstrators were taken into custody after scaling Australia’s Parliament House roof.

The government’s stance on Palestine led to the resignation of a governing party senator on Thursday, the same day that four pro-Palestine demonstrators were arrested after ascending Australia’s Parliament House roof. The parliamentarians denounced the security breach.

For around sixty minutes, the activists stayed on the roof of the Canberra building, holding black banners with the popular pro-Palestine slogan, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

One demonstrator accused the Israeli government of war crimes—an accusation Israel refutes—using a loudspeaker.

The demonstrator vowed, “We will not forget, we will not forgive, and we will continue to resist.”

While more security attempted to remove the protesters from the top, authorities recommended visitors to stay away from the main entrance under the protest.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. local time (02:30 a.m. WAT), the demonstrators took down their banners and were led off by the police.

According to a police representative for the Australian Capital Territory, the four people were taken into custody, accused of trespassing, and given a two-year ban from Parliament premises.

“Those in charge ought to bear the whole weight of the law. In our society, peaceful protest is vital, but this was not, the speaker said.

An investigation into the security breach was declared by Milton Dick, the Speaker of the House.

Sen. Fatima Payman of the ruling Labour Party was suspended for endorsing a vote in favor of Palestinian statehood, and she left the organization on Thursday to become an independent.

At a press conference, she remarked, “Seeing our government’s apathy towards the greatest injustice of our time makes me question the party’s direction.”

Australia has not currently recognize Palestinian statehood, despite calling for a ceasefire in the conflict for months. Penny Wong, the foreign minister, did, however, note in May that recognition might take place before to the completion of an official peace process between Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Labour’s lack of a majority in the Senate may make it more difficult for them to pass legislation in light of Payman’s departure.

As Hamas militants stormed southern Israel on October 7, 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage, marking the start of the Gaza conflict, according to Israel.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s military offensive has killed about 38,000 people and completely destroyed the heavily populated coastal sector.

In the early phases of the Gaza conflict, both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes, according to a U.N. investigation last month. Israel’s actions also constituted crimes against humanity because they resulted in a high number of civilian casualties.

Pro-Palestine demonstrations have been held often throughout Australia since the war started, including weekly gatherings in large cities and protracted campus occupations.