A massive pro-Palestinian protest took place in Sydney, Australia.
“Shame, shame Israel, shame, shame USA,” the crowds chanted. “What do we want? Ceasefire. When do we want it? Now”, the crowd chanted.
Not only youngsters, but also Australian families came out against the Zionist regime. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, including some of the country’s politicians, Ed Husic, attended the march.
Two hours into the march, attendees received a text from NSW Police that read: “In consultation with the organisers, the march needs to stop due to public safety and await further instructions.”
Sydney-based activist organisation Palestine Action Group lodged a notice of intention for the march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge last Sunday, in response to what it called the “atrocity” in Gaza.
Police rejected the application because there was not enough time to prepare a traffic management plan, and warned of a potential crowd crush and other safety concerns.
In a statement the following day, NSW Premier Chris Minns said they could not allow Sydney to “descend into chaos” and would not be able to support a protest of “this scale and nature” taking place on the bridge.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge was last closed for a public assembly in 2023, when some 50,000 people marched over the iconic roadway for World Pride.
France, Britain and Canada have in recent weeks voiced, and in some cases qualified, intentions to diplomatically recognise a Palestinian state as international concern and criticism have grown over the hunger crisis in Gaza.
At least 175 people, including 93 children, have died of starvation and malnutrition across the territory since Israel launched its war on Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023, according to the latest Gaza Health Ministry figures.
