https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/52c60916-adb8-4b40-a14e-a37c13686d6a "Like a river to the sea." A flash mob in Australia’s Brisbane city drew a large crowd as protesters gathered to oppose new Queensland laws restricting pro-Palestinian expression. Set to John Farnham’s 1988 hit “Two Strong Hearts”, the performance used the lyric “like a river to the sea” as a deliberate workaround to echo a now-banned phrase. The phrase "from the river to the sea" had been widely used by protesters over the past two years in demonstrations against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It is now criminalised under Queensland state law, carrying potential prison penalties of up to two years, in what critics say is legislation brought under foreign influence via pro-Israeli lobby groups. The song choice turned a familiar Australian anthem into a pointed protest against political censorship. The demonstration came a day before police arrested around 20 people at a larger rally on 18 April, where protesters openly chanted and displayed phrases such as “from the river to the sea”. Those arrested were taking part in what was a peaceful protest, intentionally challenging the legislation. Australians argue the law is targeting pro-Palestinian voices and suppressing solidarity, and critics say the ban is part of an orchestrated campaign by foreign entities against the interests of Australians. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Mon, 20 Apr 2026 06:59:25 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/52c60916-adb8-4b40-a14e-a37c13686d6a All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.