Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators, including Julian Assange, Bob Carr, and Ed Husic, marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge in the rain to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza and raise awareness about starving children in the region.
The iconic bridge was closed to traffic at 11:30 AM on Sunday as protesters gathered in Lang Park in the city center before walking north to Bradfield Park despite the cold, wet weather.
By around 3 PM, NSW Police sent a mass text message to phones across the city, ordering the march to stop due to safety concerns. Authorities turned protesters around at the northern end of the bridge.
The message read: “Message from NSW Police: In consultation with the organizers, the march needs to stop due to public safety. Await further instructions.”
A police helicopter hovered overhead, directing the crowds to turn back toward the city. A second text followed, asking protesters to stop moving north and assuring them that a controlled, staged return would be organized for safety.
Crowd estimates varied widely. NSW Police initially reported 90,000 attendees, while organizers from the Palestine Action Group claimed police told them 100,000 were presentâthough they believed the number was closer to 300,000.
Among the marchers were Indigenous actor Meyne Wyatt, former Socceroo and Australian of the Year Craig Foster, and Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, who spoke passionately before the march began.
Faruqi, a vocal critic of the federal governmentâs stance on Israelâs actions in Gaza, praised protesters for defying NSW Premier Chris Minns, who had warned against allowing Sydney to “descend into chaos.”
“Thank you for defying Chris Minns,” she said. “This is a man who wants you to stay home and be silent in the face of genocide. It was never about logistics, traffic, or communicationsâit was always about stopping us, silencing us, and protecting Israel and the Labor government from accountability.”
Police had initially rejected the march application, citing insufficient time to prepare a traffic plan and concerns about crowd safety. However, the NSW Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that the protest could proceed.
On Sunday, demonstrators carried pots and pans to symbolize starvation in Gaza, along with Palestinian flags, signs, and umbrellas to shield from the rain.
One protester, Dan, a British man, held a sign reading “Gay Jews 4 Gaza.”
“I grew up in a north London Jewish community, and I think thereâs a widespread Zionism within it thatâs hard to separate from religion,” he told Guardian Australia. “Itâs important for people in the community to stand up against the state of Israelâthey donât represent all Jewish people.”
Another attendee, Philomena McGoldrick, a nurse and midwife who has worked in Gaza, shared her heartbreak over images of starving children.Here’s a more natural and fluent version of the text while keeping the meaning intact:
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âInnocent babies have no color, no religion, no language. In this day and age⊠itâs heartbreaking. But itâs good to see people standing on the right side. The tide has turned.â
The WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, was also seen in the crowdâone of his few public appearances since returning to Australia after a decade-long extradition battle.
Julian Assange and Bob Carr at the rally. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images
Assange was photographed with Bob Carr, the former NSW premier and federal foreign minister, who recently told The Guardian that the Australian government should sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and quickly recognize Palestinian statehood.
Carr said this would send âa message that we are sickened by what appears to be the deliberate starvationâ of Gaza.
His call was supported by Ed Husic, a federal Labor MP and former cabinet minister, who joined the rally and marched across the bridge alongside five state Labor MPs who defied NSW Premier Chris Minns.
âPeople power has emerged, I think, largely because they canât stand the suffering of innocent children,â Husic told The Guardian after the march.
He repeated calls for the Albanese government to impose sanctions on Israel and follow the UK, Canada, and France in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Fifteen NSW politicians, including Laborâs Stephen Lawrence, Anthony DâAdam, Lynda Voltz, Cameron Murphy, and Sarah Kaine, signed an open letter on Thursday urging the government to ensure Sundayâs protest was âsafe and orderly.â
Meanwhile, in Melbourne, pro-Palestinian protesters who planned to block King Street Bridge in solidarity with Sydneyâs rally appeared to have been stopped by police.
Video shared by organizers showed officers in riot gear and shields blocking the bridge with trucks.
Victoria Police were asked to confirm the bridge closure but said a statement would be issued later.
In Sydney, Transport for NSW advised people to avoid non-essential travel around the CBD and northern parts of the city.
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This version improves readability while preserving all key details. Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!
