Four pro Palestine protesters arrested for scaling roof of Australia's parliament

Four pro Palestine protesters were arrested for climbing the roof of Australia's Parliament House on Thursday in a security breach condemned by lawmakers, on the same day a ruling party senator quit over the government's stance on Palestine.

The protesters stood on the roof of the in Canberra building for around an hour, unfurling black banners including one which read "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", a common refrain of Pro Palestine protesters.

One of the protesters gave a speech using a megaphone accusing the Israeli government of war crimes, an accusation it rejects.

"We will not forget, we will not forgive and we will continue to resist," the protester said.

Police and security advised people not to walk directly under the protest at the main entrance to the building, while more were seen on the roof attempting to remove the protesters.

The four were arrested and charged with trespassing, and have been banned from the grounds of parliament for two years, a spokesperson for Australian Capital Territory police said.



Reuters