The office of Brisbane Deputy Mayor, Krista Adams, will be shut down tomorrow on advice from Queensland Police after the ‘Justice for Palestine’ group announced it will protest at the location on Friday afternoon.
Councillor Adams says the protest action was sparked after a ratepayer-funded newsletter she deemed “racist and antisemitic” was distributed by Brisbane Greens Councillor, Trina Massey.
Cr Adams says the newsletter risked fuelling division and directly conflicted with recent advice from Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief, Mike Burgess, who last month implored politicians to temper their language in relation to the Middle East conflict.
“I apologise to local residents for any inconvenience however this decision was necessary to ensure the safety of staff and visitors,” the Deputy Mayor said.
“But I stand by my decision to call out the Greens councillor for spreading hate and division in her ratepayer-funded newsletter.
“Local councillor newsletters should be about local issues and the divisive and offensive material in the Greens councillor’s newsletter has no place in a publication funded by Brisbane residents.
“Cr Massey has recklessly thumbed her nose at Australia’s security chief who just weeks ago raised concerns about a rise in politically motivated violence.”
Brisbane’s LNP councillors are demanding Cr Massey repay the $20,000 cost of the six-page newsletter – a third of which was devoted to pro-Palestine content.
“Cr Massey has once again demonstrated the Greens don’t care about local residents and are only interested in pushing their extreme ideological agenda,” said Cr Adams.
“Cr Massey needs to stop playing the victim and peddling false claims that her newsletter was approved by Council officers.
“She should do the right thing and refund ratepayers and apologise for distributing this offensive and racist newsletter.”
In an online statement following the newsletter backlash, Cr Massey states, “In my six page community newsletter about parks, buses and Council services, I was proud to include two pages written by local scholar Dr Jamal Nabulsi, Dr Amy McQuire and Dr Elizabeth Strakosch of the Jewish Council of Australia on an issue that thousands of Gabba Ward residents care so deeply about…
“I was elected to represent the people of the Gabba Ward and to fight for what they believe in. I have constituents in the Gabba Ward with family members being directly affected by the genocide in Gaza, and I hear from residents of all backgrounds every day urging us to do our part to stop it.”
Queensland’s Jewish Board of Deputies has slammed the newsletter as “disgraceful and filled with propaganda that only serves to fuel hatred against the Jewish community in Brisbane”.
“It is deeply concerning that a Brisbane City Councillor would publish such a biased and harmful document, which only amplifies the existing hate that Jewish residents in our city already endure,” said President, Jason Steinberg.
“Cr Massey’s publication is littered with the same falsehoods and dangerous rhetoric propagated by those who peddle hatred towards Israel, Zionists and Jews. Since the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks last year, the language used by the Greens has incited offensive graffiti, posters, boycotts and antisemitic tropes across Brisbane, instilling fear within our community and raising serious concerns for our safety as we strive to freely identify as Jews and practice our faith.
“More than 90% of Jews in Queensland identify as Zionists, meaning we support the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland.
“Cr Massey should revisit her history books to understand the Jewish connection to Israel, which dates back 3,000 years—long before the Roman Empire expelled Jews from Jerusalem in the 1st Century and established Syria-Palestina, centuries before the creation of Islam.
“Is Cr Massey committed to representing all her constituents – no matter their faith – or is she content to fan the flames of hatred against Jewish and non-Jewish residents alike?” he said.
A social media post this afternoon by group, Justice for Palestine Magan-djin, confirmed tomorrow’s protest.
“SNAP ACTION tomorrow at 3pm for a picket at Krista Adams’ office. The Deputy Mayor of Brisbane moved a council motion to sanction a local councilor (sic) for publishing in her newsletter information about a Palestinian Refugee from our community and a brief history of Palestine.
“This is the same City Council that lit the bridges of Brisbane in the colours of the Apartheid State at the start of the Genocide. Join us to call on the BCC to stop censoring stories about Palestine. – Our Community Our Stories,” the Justice for Palestine group posted.
The Council said advice is being sought about the ongoing safety of staff and residents visiting the Holland Park office, as well as the personal safety of the Deputy Mayor.
