Up to 300,000 people marched across Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge on August 3 in a historic protest to demand Labor sanction Israel and provide aid to deliberately starved Gazans. Amid a sea of umbrellas, chants of “What do we want? Sanctions! When do we want them? Now!” rang out.
The protest also demanded Labor end to the two-way arms trade and step up the pressure on Israel to enact an immediate ceasefire and withdraw from Gaza.
The incredible March for Humanity, organised by Palestine Action Group Sydney (PAG), happened in driving rain and despite a push from NSW Labor to stop it from proceeding. NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns first cited timetabling concerns, then “safety concerns”. This would have made many decide to come.
Supreme Court Judge Belinda Riggs, ruling in favour of the protest the day before, said PAG organiser Josh Lees had a compelling case, because of the “critical moment for Palestine.”
Minns and NSW Police have form, sending PAG to the Supreme Court before. But they lost. Minns has allowed the Israeli flag to be projected on to the Sydney Opera House, on October 9, 2023. He has threatened to ban Palestine rallies altogether, citing police costs, which he now says organisers should pay for. He has also passed new anti-protest laws to be able to fine pro-Palestine protesters assembling near religious institutions.
Minns argued that the march over the Harbour Bridge would cause traffic chaos and cost millions. Lees told the court it was regularly closed, citing a recent film shoot, the World Pride March and the regular Sydney Marathon. Lees said, and the court accepted, that a protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge will send the most powerful message to the world that Australia stands with Palestine.
NSW Police used their resources to fight PAG in court, and not make arrangements for a protest that, by August 2, had more than 300 endorsing organisations. The morning of the rally, the ABC ran a story about a change of assembly point, even though there had been none. Despite this confusion and the terrible weather, up to 280,000 people, maybe more, turned up to march.
Protesters showed abundant patience and solidarity, waiting hours in the rain while not being able to hear the speakers. From 11am, train loads of people spilled into Wynyard Station, while Transport NSW provided advice on updated logistics.
Among those first signing on to PAG’s call-out for endorsements was Sydney Independent Lord Mayor Clover Moore. After the Australian Services Union NSW signed on, another 11 unions followed suit, as did GetUp!, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Uniting Church, Muslim Votes Matter, Jews Against the Occupation ’48 and Jewish Council of Australia. Former Australians of the year Grace Tame and Craig Foster did also, the latter addressing the protest.
Ahmed Ouf, an independent councillor in Cumberland City Council, led the call to prayer, after which Indigenous actor Meyne Wyatt, former Socceroo Craig Foster, anti-Zionist author Antony Loewenstein, Palestinian Australian Randa Abdel Fatah and NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi spoke. The MCs were Amal Naser and Lees.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was among those leading the front banner, along with journalists Antoinette Latouff and Mary Kostakidis. Robert Martin and Tania Safi, Freedom Flotilla activists who had only recently returned from being kidnapped by Israel from the Handala, also marched.
There were contingents of healthcare workers, teachers, educators and maritime workers. Palestine solidarity groups from across NSW attended with their banners. LGBTIQ rights groups marched with their banners reading “Queers for Palestine” and “Penny Wong Kills Lesbians in Gaza”.
All seven NSW Greens MPs endorsed the protest, as did NSW Labor MPs Stephen Lawrence MLC, Anthony D’Adam MLC, Lynda Voltz MP, Julia Finn MP and Sarah Kaine MLC. Other Labor MPs breaking with Minns to march were Jihad Dib MP, Cameron Murphy MLC, Bob Nanva MLC, Penny Sharpe MLC and Peter Primrose MLC. Federal Labor Senator Tony Sheldon, Ed Husic MP, Kylie Wilkinson MP and Alison Byrnes MP marched.
Chaos?
PAG had originally requested, on its Form 1, that the protest end at the United States Consulate in North Sydney. Police pushed back and the route was renegotiated to end at Bradfield Park, just off the north side of the bridge. But, at some point, NSW Police decided the exit was not “safe” and redirected people, by text message, to turn around and march back to the starting point. Some police helicopters attempted to loudspeaker this announcement, to little effect.
Eventually, police used Geo Tagging SMS (used by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza), sending three confusing texts to protesters from 2.58pm onwards.
The NSW Legal Observers’ report on August 3 criticised police, saying they “did not abide by the Supreme Court decision to allow the march to end in North Sydney”. It also noted that “police did not communicate clearly with each other. A protester reported that around 3.10pm a police officer she asked about the text told her ‘it’s a scam’.”
PAG tried to convey the changes via Instagram.
NSW Transport had advised that Milsons Point and North Sydney train stations would be open to transport people back home but, citing “crush concerns”, they were closed. North Sydney Wharf ferry was also closed until 4pm.
Mainstream news reports that evening and into the next day focused on NSW Police’s “alarm” about crowd crushes, not the historic size of the protest, nor what was said. It provided Minns with his avoidant talking points. The ABC even said police had concerns the huge crowd was “perilous”, and that “people were at risk of being killed or seriously injured”. This was not what happened, however.
Despite the confusing messages, protesters remained calm, some delighting that we were marching over the bridge twice in one day! Chants of “In our thousands, in our millions; we are all Palestinians” buoyed protesters doing the second bridge lap amid the driving rain.
The incredible march footage has been seen by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the world. SBS reported Gazan families sending their thanks.
Labor in denial
Labor is struggling to come to grips with the massive protest. While promising a new aid package for Palestine on August 4, foreign minister Penny Wong obfuscated on 7.30. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apparently called Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the first time since October 2023, and says he wants to talk to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Labor is hinting it will, when the “time is right”, recognise a Palestinian state.
However, Minns, doubling down, has said he will look into laws to muzzle the Supreme Court, a move that even his own right faction has criticised as “overreach”.
The March for Humanity was a huge success — its ripples have been clocked in Gaza. We must step up the pressure and continue to demand a majority Labor government stands on the right side of history.
As Antonio Gramsci wrote in reference to Italian fascism: “The old world is dying and the new world is struggling to be born.” The struggle for justice in Palestine continues, as does a new world without war.
[Palestine Action Group Sydney has called a National Day of Action for August 24. The National Tertiary Education Union has called a National Day of Action for September 10. Rachel Evans is a Socialist Alliance Sydney organiser. Olivia lurincich is an anti-Zionist Jewish activist in City of Sydney for Palestine.]