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The event organizers claimed on social media that “hundreds of thousands” participated in the march.
The Harbour Bridge was closed in both directions from 11.30am to 5pm. Source: SBS News / Jack Giam
While crossing the Harbour Bridge, the protest organiser from the Palestine Action Group, Josh Lees told SBS News: “We’ve been told the protest is so big by the police that we are not going to be able to stop where we were planning … 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.”
Protesters walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
NSW Police acting assistant commissioner Adam Johnson said the police’s current estimate was that around 90,000 people had attended the event.
As the protest proceeded, NSW Police issued a statement urging attendees not to cross the bridge for safety reasons. Source: SBS News / Jack Giam
Craig Foster, former Australian of the Year and retired football player, was also among the speakers at the Sydney rally.
Assange has rarely been seen in public since his release from a UK prison in June. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams
Political figures such as Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, federal Labor MP Ed Husic and former Labor minister Bob Carr also attended the protest.
During her address at the protest, Faruqi criticized NSW Premier Chris Minns, who stated that his administration could not condone a demonstration of such magnitude, particularly with minimal notice.
According to UNICEF, “severe malnutrition” among children in Gaza is escalating more rapidly than aid can reach, refering to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Source: SBS News / Jack Giam
Hours after the march started, NSW Police issued various statements urging the protesters to “stop walking north”, citing “safety issues”. Geo-targeting alerts were sent to the people in the area.
Throughout the march, police requested participants to pause their movement across the bridge to prevent overcrowding at the northern end. Source: Getty / Izhar Khan
In a press conference after the rally, NSW Police acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna, said most Sydney marchers were “very well behaved” but added that at certain points police “were really concerned about a crowd crush”.
“But gee whizz, I wouldn’t like to try and do this every Sunday at that short notice,” he added.
Geo-targeted alerts dispatched by the NSW Police during the protests were interpreted as reflecting the large turnout at the march, according to Josh Lees from the Palestine Action Group. Source: SBS News / Jack Giam
Protesters also gathered at the State Library in Melbourne to rally in solidarity with the protesters in Sydney, planning to march down to the King Street Bridge.
Protesters also gathered at the State Library in Melbourne. Source: AAP / Con Chronis
One protester faced off with riot police, repeatedly yelling “shame on you” at them. Source: AAP / Con Chronis
However, they had to leave the King Street bridge, which police had blockaded in advance of their arrival.
