A major pro-Palestinian protest unfolded across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, after the NSW Supreme Court granted last-minute approval just one day earlier, a move organisers hailed as a “historic” decision.
Thousands braved heavy rain to join the “March for Humanity,” many holding placards demanding an end to the war and urging politicians to take stronger action. Chants of “Shame shame Israel, shame shame USA” and “What do we want? Ceasefire. When do we want it? Now” echoed across the iconic structure.
Among those spotted in the crowd were WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, federal MP Ed Husic, and former NSW Premier Bob Carr.
This marks the first time since 2023 that the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been closed for a public demonstration. That year, around 50,000 participants marched across the span during World Pride celebrations.
Families with young children were among the demonstrators, accompanied by a visible police presence, including riot squad officers stationed along the bridge.
“I know it’s the other side of the world, but it affects us here massively as well,” said Alec Beville, who brought his three-year-old son Frankie to the protest. “We could be helping a lot more with aid.”
Another protester, Zara Williams, attended with her baby Avery in a sling. “Our government hasn’t put any decent sanctions on Israel,” she said. “We [Australia] just can’t do nothing while there’s a forced starvation of an entire population.”
About two hours into the march, NSW Police issued a text message to attendees, instructing them to stop walking north and return to the city in a “controlled” manner due to public safety concerns. Police have yet to release an official estimate of the turnout.
The protest, which caused major traffic disruptions, prompted Transport for NSW to urge motorists to avoid the city centre, warning of delays across the road and public transport networks.
The event was organised by Palestine Action Group, a Sydney-based activist collective, which lodged a notice of intention to protest a week earlier in response to what it described as the “atrocity” in Gaza.
NSW Police initially rejected the application, citing insufficient time to prepare a traffic management plan and raising concerns over safety and crowd control.
NSW Premier Chris Minns also weighed in, stating that the government could not support a protest of “this scale and nature” and warning that Sydney could not be allowed to “descend into chaos.”
Police subsequently applied for a prohibition order from the NSW Supreme Court, which was denied just 24 hours before the protest.
According to the ABC, Justice Belinda Rigg acknowledged that safety concerns were “well founded” but found that protest organiser Josh Lees had “compellingly” argued the need for an urgent public response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
She ruled that there was no evidence a prohibition would enhance public safety, and ordered the bridge and surrounding roads to be closed to traffic during the march.
The court’s decision granted protesters protection under the Summary Offences Act, shielding them from charges typically associated with unauthorised public assemblies, such as blocking traffic.
In response, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies issued a statement via Instagram, expressing “disappointment” over the court’s decision to allow the protest on such a high-profile route.
Australia continues to face growing international pressure to recognise Palestinian statehood. France, Canada, and the United Kingdom have each indicated conditional support ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking on ABC’s 7.30 programme, reiterated that Australia would not be pressured by other countries into a decision.
“I want to see conditions met that achieve lasting security for Israel before we make any such commitment,” he said.
