An estimated 90,000 to 300,000 pro-Palestine protesters marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, shutting down the iconic landmark to traffic. Organised by the Palestine Action Group, the 'March for Humanity' called for an end to the killing in Gaza and for Australia to sanction Israel. The march featured high-profile attendees including Julian Assange, former foreign minister Bob Carr, and federal Labor MP Ed Husic.
NSW police closed the bridge at 11:30am, with protesters gathering in Lang Park before crossing under heavy rain from 1pm. The crowd stretched the entire 1.2km length of the bridge. 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'.
Police halted the march around 3pm, citing public safety concerns, and turned protesters back at the north end. A police helicopter broadcast instructions, and mass text messages were sent to phones in the area. Acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said it was the largest protest he had seen, with concerns about crowd crush. Acting assistant commissioner Adam Johnson called it 'a perilous situation' in his 35 years of policing.
Crowd estimates varied: NSW police initially said 90,000, while organisers claimed up to 300,000. The protest was also attended by five NSW Labor MPs who defied Premier Chris Minns, as well as two of his ministers, Penny Sharpe and Jihad Dib. Bob Carr reiterated calls to sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and recognise Palestinian statehood, saying Australians are 'turned inside out with disgust' by the situation in Gaza.
