‘From the river to the sea’, and into police sights, for Brisbane artists

James Hillier’s work has landed in places he could have never imagined when first turning to full-time art a decade ago. The largest billboard in Times Square, the cover of an Elton John and Britney Spears CD, a mug in the hands of the prime minister.

The latest, however, is a much more serious turn: the sights of the Queensland Police Service, under state laws passed this month banning the use of two pro-Palestinian phrases. And he’s not alone.

Hillier was opening the art and design store he also works at on Brisbane’s north on Wednesday and noticed a missed call from the police. Dialling back, he was told he’d been the subject of a complaint alleging a breach of the laws.

“They made some requests that I remove [website artwork] listings so that I’m in compliance. I spoke to legal counsel and complied with their requests as I continue to get legal advice,” Hillier told this masthead by phone on Saturday.

Brisbane-based Hillier, under the moniker Nordacious, produces pop-art inspired illustrations across themes and figures of celebrity, social justice and Australiana. As a result, recent global events have drawn him to the Palestinian cause.

While the David Crisafulli-led Queensland LNP government, and some major Jewish groups and figures, have deemed the banned phrases (“from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada”) antisemitic and a call to “slaughter Jews”, this is not a blanket view.

Others, including other sections of the Jewish community, view the phrases – particularly the former – as part of calls for an end to freedom from oppression, illegal occupation and alleged genocide of Palestinian people by Israel.

As the government pushed its controversial proposed ban through the single house of parliament and committee system it controls, Hillier honed in on this and the “river to the sea” phrase in a series of three illustrations from early February.

In social media posts on Friday night, including to his almost 50,000 Instagram followers, Hillier said it was listings for products featuring these three works which he had removed from his website after the call from police.

One depicts Crisafulli wearing a tie featuring the Star of David pressing down on a protest placard situated on a map of the state adorned with the words “from Brisbane River to Moreton Bay: I’ll decide what you can say”.

Another utilises imagery of John Farnham, a portion of the lyrics from his 1988 song Two Strong Hearts which features the words “river to the sea”, and a slice of watermelon – a common Palestinian symbol which shares colours with its flag.

The third depicts the arrest of 18-year-old Bonnie Carter in the singlet bearing the “from the river to the sea” phrase she was wearing at a small protest outside parliament house in the hours after the ban took effect on March 11.

While Carter escaped with a caution, a second person arrested and charged by police that day – 33-year-old Liam Parry – will face court on April 8 for the offence of reciting, distributing, or publicly displaying a prohibited expression.

The offence, which criminalises use of the phrases or similar wording where the conduct could be “reasonably be expected to make a member of the public feel menaced, harassed or offended” carries a maximum penalty of two years jail.

There are “reasonable excuses” including artistic, religious, educational, historical, legal, law enforcement and public interest – such as news reporting – for using the phrases, but the burden of proof rests with the person charged.

“I’m not an antisemitic person. I loathe bigotry with every fibre of my being. Everything I do comes from a place of deep empathy for other people,” Hillier said over the phone.

“My desire is to see … international law upheld, human rights upheld, and freedom of speech to be restored to Queensland so that people can freely advocate for other people’s human rights without being treated like a criminal.”

Hillier has not taken down social media posts with the illustrations, which he said he was not told to. “But they made it clear … if I do post on social media or elsewhere online moving forward, then that would be considered a breach,” he said.

In a statement, police said they were investigating a complaint around the “reference of prohibited expressions featured on artwork displayed online”.

After Sydney-based street artist Scott Marsh shared images of a new mural in South Brisbane also depicting Farnham, the phrase “river to the sea” and a watermelon, police said “further inquiries” were also being conducted there.

“Investigations into the matters are ongoing,” police said, noting incidents involving antisemitism were treated as criminal matters and investigated thoroughly to “take appropriate action to hold offenders accountable”.

“The QPS strongly condemn anyone who incites hatred within our community – there is no place for it.”

Contacted by phone while travelling back to Sydney, Marsh told this masthead he was yet to be contacted by police.

Hillier was also yet to hear of any further police action, such as warrants to seize items – as seen in a use of the laws regarding a “from the river to the sea, come get us Crisafulli” banner at a Greenslopes catholic activist house last week.

“The impression I got was that, especially after I consulted with legal counsel, that that could be a consequence for me as well if I didn’t comply,” Hillier said.

In additional written comments to this masthead, Hillier said satire, political commentary and protest art were foundational elements of a healthy democracy.

“This is what political art looks like … That should alarm everyone, regardless of where they sit politically,” he said.

“What scares me most isn’t what’s happening to me specifically. It’s the precedent. These laws are, pretty clearly, being used as a mechanism to silence advocacy for Palestinians.”

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