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

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 protesters packed up their banners before being led away by waiting police at around 11:30am local time (01:30am GMT).

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.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the protests. “Those responsible should feel the full force of the law. Peaceful protest has an important place in our society, but this was not a peaceful protest,” he said.

The Speaker of Australia’s lower house Milton Dick said he had ordered an investigation into how the security breach occurred.

Fatima Payman, a senator in the ruling Labour Party, quit the party on Thursday to sit as an independent after she was suspended for voting for a motion backing Palestinian statehood.

Opinion

Editorial

Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...
Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...