Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, was among an estimated 100,000 pro-Palestine protesters who marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, calling for an end to the killing in Gaza. The march, organised by the Palestine Action Group, also featured former foreign minister Bob Carr and federal Labor MP Ed Husic.
The iconic bridge was closed to traffic from 11.30am, with demonstrators gathering at Lang Park before enduring heavy rain as they walked the 1.2km span. Organiser Josh Lees described the turnout as 'even bigger than my wildest dreams', urging politicians to 'listen to the will of the people and sanction Israel'.
NSW police initially estimated the crowd at 90,000, but organisers claimed up to 300,000 attended. Police halted the march around 3pm due to safety concerns, sending mass text messages ordering protesters to turn back. Acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said it was the largest protest he had seen, while assistant commissioner Adam Johnson called it 'a perilous situation'.
High-profile attendees included Assange, making one of his few public appearances since returning to Australia, and Bob Carr, who called for sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Five NSW Labor MPs defied Premier Chris Minns to attend, with MP Stephen Lawrence stating, 'The people have spoken today. They want more action from the Australian government to stop the genocide in Palestine.'
