Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators filled streets across Australia on Sunday, in what organisers described as the largest protests in the country's history, days after the United Nations confirmed famine in parts of the Gaza Strip for the first time. Brisbane saw its biggest-ever pro-Palestine rally, with organisers estimating 50,000 attendees, though Queensland police put the figure at 10,000.
In Melbourne and Sydney, organisers reported 100,000 marchers each, contrasting with police estimates of 10,000 in both cities. The rallies, held in about 40 cities and towns, were backed by over 250 community organisations and unions, including Victorian Trades Hall Council and Unions NSW. Speakers called for sanctions and an end to Australia’s arms trade with Israel.
Jawad Al Maj, a refugee from Iran attending the Brisbane rally with his family, said, “The difference between my kids and those kids in Palestine is geography. It’s luck.” He added, “It could have been my kids being blown up while Australia is silent.” The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, called the turnout the “biggest gathering since those against the Iraq war”, reflecting public demand for stronger government action.
Sunday’s protests come weeks after a massive march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 3 August, which organisers said generated “momentum around the country”. Activists noted that some regional areas, including Shepparton and Geraldton, held pro-Palestine protests for the first time. The UN’s famine declaration in Gaza follows over 60,000 deaths, mostly women and children, since the war began on 7 October 2023.
