MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Pro-Palestinian protesters breached security at Australia’s Parliament House to unfurl banners from the roof on Thursday as a senator quit the government over its direction on the Gaza war.
Tensions over Israel’s war against Hamas dominated Parliament’s final sitting day before a five-week break.
The four protesters were arrested after draping the words “war crimes" and “genocide” as well as the Palestinian rallying cry “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” for more than an hour over the building’s façade known as the Great Verandah.
Inside the building, Afghanistan-born Sen. Fatima Payman, the only Australian federal lawmaker ever to wear a hijab during sittings, announced she had quit the ruling Labor Party over her refusal to toe the party line on Gaza.
“My family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people,” Payman told reporters.
“Witnessing our government’s indifference to the greatest injustice of our times makes me question the direction the party is taking,” she added.
The first-term senator defied her government colleagues last week by supporting a minor party’s motion that demanded the Senate "recognize the state of Palestine.”
Australia does not recognize a Palestinian state. The government is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state can coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders, the policy states.
Payman will remain in the Senate as an independent lawmaker. She is the first government lawmaker to leave since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's administration was elected in 2022.
Police said the four protesters were expected to be charged with trespassing.
They have been banned from Parliament House for two years, a police statement said.
The protesters triggered a security crackdown in Parliament House that prevented many members of the public entering the building. The public galleries of both the House of Representatives and the Senate were kept empty as a precaution.
House Speaker Milton Dick said he was “deeply concerned” by the protests and had ordered an upgrade of security. Police were investigating how the protesters gained access to a secure area.
Albanese told Parliament he condemned the protest.
“Peaceful protest has an important place in our society, but this was not a peaceful protest,” Albanese said.
“These actions have done absolutely nothing to advance any cause. Indeed, they have hurt the cause that those engaged in this reckless activity believe they are advancing,” Albanese added.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton demanded to know who allowed protesters into the building and described their message as anti-Semitic.
“We need to understand the gravity of this situation, because these images will be beamed around the world,” Dutton told Parliament.
Labor Sen. Fatima Payman speaks to media members during a news conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Afghanistan-born Sen. Payman, the only Australian federal lawmaker ever to wear a hajib during sittings, announced she had quit the ruling Labor Party over her refusal to toe the party line on Gaza. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)
Pro-Palestinian protesters hang banners from the top of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters breached security at Australia’s Parliament House to unfurl banners from the roof on Thursday as a senator quit the government over its direction on the Gaza war. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Three years on from losing the European Championship final on penalties, England beat Switzerland in a shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024.
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winner as England swept all of its penalties to win the shootout 5-3 after a 1-1 draw in extra time on Saturday.
“The team showed a lot of character, belief, heart and spirit out there,” Alexander-Arnold told the BBC.
England converted its first four penalties and Alexander-Arnold won the game with the fifth, blasting his shot into the top corner. Another who scored was Bukayo Saka, who missed the last penalty kick of the final shootout in 2021 and was racially abused on social media.
Saka also equalized earlier to ensure the game went to extra time after the Swiss took the lead.
The other shootout scorers were Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Ivan Toney, who returned in January from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.
England was in the lead in the shootout after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved from Manuel Akanji, who took Switzerland's first penalty kick.
England goes on to play Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday for a spot in the final.
Switzerland, which has never reached the semifinals of a major tournament, exits the European Championship on penalties in the quarterfinals for the second time running after defeat to Spain three years ago.
It was the second game in a row that England left it late to win, after beating Slovakia 2-1 in extra time in the last 16.
The quarterfinal went to extra time after England forward Saka scored with a shot off the post in the 80th minute to cancel out Breel Embolo's goal five minutes earlier for Switzerland. It was the first shot on target for England in what was otherwise a cagey and cautious performance from the 2021 runner-up.
The Swiss had the better chances to win in extra time, including substitute Xherdan Shaqiri hitting the frame of the goal direct from a corner. Pickford saved from substitute Zeki Amdouni in the 119th to keep England in the game.
England was without captain and striker Harry Kane for the shootout after he collided with manager Gareth Southgate on the touchline while challenging for a ball and appeared to be hurt. He was replaced by Toney.
Taking charge of his 100th game on Saturday, Southgate has now taken England to at least the semifinals in three of the four major tournaments in his eight-year tenure.
AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
Switzerland supporters react after their team lost in the quarterfinal match against England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
England's manager Gareth Southgate and his players celebrate their victory during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Switzerland's players react after losing against England after the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Switzerland players watch the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England's Bukayo Saka reacts after scoring by penalty during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England players celebrate after Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winning goal during the penalty shootout of a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Jude Bellingham, right, and England's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrate after a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates his team victory after the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
England's Trent Alexander-Arnold scores the winning goal during a penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
England's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, right, celebrates with tEngland's Trent Alexander-Arnold after a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England fans gather at BOXPark, Wembley, London, Saturday, July 6, 2024, to watch a screening of the quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament played in Duesseldorf, Germany. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Switzerland's Remo Freuler, rignth, and England's Kyle Walker fight for the ball during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Jude Bellingham, left, and Switzerland's Manuel Akanji challenge for the ball during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
A Swiss fan shows a sign reading "Apres-Ski better than Afternoon Tea" ahead of the Euro 2024 quarterfinal soccer match between Switzerland and England in Dusseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
