Julian Assange Joins Historic Pro-Palestinian March Across Sydney Harbour Bridge Amid Global Outcry Over Gaza
- TPP
- Aug 4
- 3 min read
In a powerful display of solidarity, tens of thousands of Australians participated in the “March for Humanity” across Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge on Sunday, calling for an end to the ongoing war and famine in Gaza. Despite torrential rain, the demonstration marked a significant moment in Australia’s political and civil landscape—authorised just 24 hours prior by the New South Wales Supreme Court in what organisers hailed as a "historic decision."
Among the prominent figures at the march were WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, federal MP Ed Husic, former NSW Premier Bob Carr, and retired footballer Craig Foster. Protesters carried placards demanding an immediate ceasefire and chanted slogans such as, “Shame shame Israel, shame shame USA,” and “What do we want? Ceasefire. When do we want it? Now.”
This protest was part of a broader global wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In Melbourne, approximately 25,000 people held a similar rally. Internationally, in Cape Town, South African women from the Mothers4Gaza movement staged a silent protest, holding images of starving children and calling the situation in Gaza a genocide.
The march across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge—which had not been closed for a public protest since the 2023 World Pride event—was originally denied approval by the NSW Police. Authorities cited insufficient time to implement a traffic management plan and warned of potential safety issues, including a crowd crush. NSW Premier Chris Minns initially stated that such a protest could cause “chaos” in the city and could not be supported due to its scale and short notice.
However, organisers from the Palestine Action Group challenged the rejection in the NSW Supreme Court, where Justice Belinda Rigg ruled that while police safety concerns were “well-founded,” there was no evidence that prohibiting the march would improve public safety. Instead, she found that organiser Josh Lees had provided a “compelling” justification for the protest in light of the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The court ordered the bridge be closed to vehicles and allowed the protest to go forward, offering legal protection to attendees under the Summary Offences Act—ensuring they would not be prosecuted for offences like blocking traffic.
Police estimates put the number of attendees at around 90,000, with riot squad officers present across the bridge to manage the crowd. The scale of the protest led Transport for NSW to issue alerts urging motorists to avoid the city, warning of major delays across Sydney’s road and public transport networks.
The public mobilisation comes amid growing international pressure on Australia to formally recognise Palestinian statehood. In late July, 15 countries, including Australia, publicly supported such recognition. Nations like France, Canada, and the UK have also signalled intent to do so at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September, albeit with conditions.
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However, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking on ABC’s 7.30 programme, stated that Australia would not be rushed into recognising Palestine and that his government would wait until conditions are met that ensure “lasting security for Israel.”
In response to the court’s decision to permit the protest, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies expressed disappointment, stating concerns over the nature and location of the demonstration.
For many attendees, including families with young children, the protest was deeply personal. “We just can't do nothing while there's a forced starvation of an entire population,” said protester Zara Williams, who marched while carrying her baby in a sling. Similarly, Alec Beville compared the suffering of children in Gaza to his own three-year-old son, saying, “We could be helping a lot more with aid.”
Midway through the march, participants received a text message from NSW Police, asking them to turn back toward the city for safety reasons, halting the northbound movement on the bridge.
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Despite this, the demonstration remained peaceful and concluded without any major incident—leaving a strong visual and political statement as thousands marched to demand justice, humanitarian aid, and an end to the violence in Gaza.
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