Tens of thousands of people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Palestine on Sunday, demanding a ceasefire and for the Australian government to impose sanctions on Israel, as well as an end to the Israeli blockade of aid into Gaza.
Called ‘March for Humanity’ by organisers, the peaceful protesters braved the rainy weather on Sunday, chanting “ceasefire now” and “Free Palestine”, along with carrying pots and pans as a symbol of the ongoing forced starvation of Palestinians.
Police estimated about 90,000 people turned up for the event, with organisers putting that figure much higher at around 200,000 to 300,000 people.
Last week, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a panel of experts from the UN and other aid organisations, confirmed that “the worst-case scenario of a famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip” and that a ceasefire is needed to prevent further “catastrophic human suffering”.
According to the latest Gaza Health Ministry figures, at least 175 Palestinians, including 93 children, have died of starvation and malnutrition across the territory since Israel’s war began in October 2023.
In recent weeks, France, Great Britain and Canada have voiced intentions to diplomatically recognise a Palestinian state.
The protest in Sydney came less than a week after the Australian government signed a joint statement with a dozen other countries expressing a willingness “to recognise the State of Palestine, as an essential step towards the two-State solution”.
Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees said the ‘March for Humanity’ was “even bigger than we dreamt” and lauded the event’s success, calling it a “huge display of democracy”.
The demographic of people who marched peacefully in the crowd ranged widely and included elderly people, families with young children and university students.
Many big-name figures and politicians attended the protest, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Deputy Leader of the Greens and Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens MP Sue Higginson, journalist and activist Antoinette Lattouf, Australian writer and activist Randa Abdel-Fattah, former NSW premier Bob Carr, former federal government minister Ed Husic, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and former Socceroo and activist Craig Foster.
Last week, the NSW police and state premier Chris Minns had tried to block the march from taking place on the bridge, saying the route could cause safety concerns and transport disruption. The state’s Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that the march could go ahead.
About two hours after the march began, NSW Police issued a statement saying that “in consultation with the organisers, the march needs to stop due to public safety and await further instruction”. Protestors were asked to stop walking north over the bridge and make their way back towards the city.
NSW Police’s were issuing geo-targeted alerts during the protest, which event organiser Josh Lees told SBS was a sign of the protest’s huge number of people in attendance.
“We are gonna have to march back over the bridge again, which is good because this is our bridge. This bridge belongs to the people of Sydney,” Lees said when the police asked protesters to turn around.
“People power” is how prominent journalist and human rights activist Antoinette Lattouf described the event on social media after marching at the lead.
“The state government tried to shut it down. Police ramped up pressure. The skies unleashed a deluge. None of it worked,” Antoinette Lattouf said.
“We walked for humanity, for ceasefire, against genocide.”