An estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday in a pro-Palestine demonstration, making it one of the largest protests in the city's history. Organisers from the Palestine Action Group claimed up to 300,000 attended, while NSW police estimated the crowd at 90,000.
The world-famous bridge was closed to traffic from 11:30am as protesters gathered at Lang Park before walking the 1.2km span in heavy rain. The march began at 1pm and stretched the entire length of the bridge. High-profile attendees included WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, former foreign minister Bob Carr, and federal Labor MP Ed Husic.
Police ordered the march to stop around 3pm due to safety concerns, citing risks of a crowd crush. A police helicopter with a loudspeaker instructed protesters to turn back, and mass text messages were sent to phones in the area. Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna described it as the largest protest he had seen in his career.
Speakers called for an end to the killing in Gaza and urged the Australian government to sanction Israel and recognise Palestinian statehood. Organiser Josh Lees said, 'It's a mass march for humanity to stop a genocide.' Several NSW Labor MPs defied Premier Chris Minns to attend, including ministers Penny Sharpe and Jihad Dib.
