Pro-Palestinian protesters have breached security at Australia’s Parliament House to unfurl banners from the roof 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 on Thursday 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 a hour. Afghanistan-born Sen. Fatima Payman announced she had quit the ruling Labor Party over her refusal to toe the party line on Gaza. Payman defied her government colleagues last week by supporting a minor party’s motion that demanded recognition of a Palestinian state.
