Historic march across Harbour Bridge puts pressure on Labor to sanction Israel

August 4, 2025

Issue

Hundreds of thousands of people march for Palestine across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, August 3. Photo: Zebedee Parkes

A sea of humanity marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on August 3, demanding federal Labor impose sanctions on Israel, stop the two-way arms trade with Israel and send food aid to Gaza.

Organisers said between 200,000-300,000 people took part, while NSW Police estimated 90,000.

The March for Humanity: Save Gaza protest took place in driving rain and despite the NSW Labor government’s attempts to stop it.

Several NSW Labor MPs made their support public beforehand, and marched at the front alongside Julian Assange, former NSW Premier Bob Carr and Greens MPs as well as prominent Arab-Australian figures and former Socceroo and Australian of the Year Craig Foster.

The march had been called eight days beforehand, after bigger-than-usual numbers started turning up to the fortnightly Palestine protests, expressing deep concern not only about Israel’s starvation genocide but Labor’s refusal to do anything concrete.

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A growing number of trade unions, some affiliated to Labor, publicly declared their support for the march and opposition to the Minns Labor government’s attempt to ban it.

These included the Maritime Union of Australia, Electrical Trades Union, Australian Services Union, National Tertiary Education Union, Communication Workers Union, Finance Sector Union, Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, Independent Education Union, United Workers Union, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and the NSW Teachers Federation. ASMOF NSW, the doctors union, issued a statement in support of Gaza, calling on Labor to act, and sent a delegation to the march.

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Israel continues to shoot people, including children, seeking aid at the Israeli-United States controlled “aid distribution points” run by the misnamed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

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'Albo: blood on your hands', Gadigal Country/Sydney, August 3. Photo: Peter Boyle

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on August 3 that at least 65 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid and 511 more were wounded, according to Al Jazeera. It said 119 had been killed, including 15 recovered from under destroyed buildings. Some 866 wounded Palestinians have sought help at the deprived hospitals over the past 24-hours.

The United Nations said more than 1400 people seeking aid have been killed since GHF began operating in May. The Office of the High Commissioner said that most killings were committed by the Israeli military and that “while it is aware of the presence of other armed elements in the same areas, it does not have information indicating their involvement in the killings”.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has repeated its call to open road crossings to supply aid at scale across Gaza. “Airdrops are at least 100 times more costly than trucks. Trucks carry twice as much aid as planes,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on social media.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced a new $20 million aid package to Gaza, on August 4, the day after the Sydney Harbour Bridge protest. However, she was silent on sanctions or an end to the two-war arms trade.

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Starving children is a war crime, Naarm/Melbourne, August 3. Photo: Jordan AK

More than 10,000 people protested Israel’s mass starvation in Gaza in Naarm/Melbourne on August 3. Protesters started at the State Library and attempted to march across King Street Bridge, in solidarity with the Sydney Harbor Bridge march in Gadigal Country/Sydney but were blocked by the Victorian Police.

Jacob Andrewartha reports also that 600 delegates to Victorian Labor’s conference on August 2 passed several pro-Palestine motions including to sanction the whole Israeli cabinet, end all military trade with Israel, recognise a Palestinian state and direct aid to civilians in Gaza.

Delegates voted to fully implement the ruling of the 2024 International Court of Justice that Israel's occupation is unlawful and all states have an obligation to ensure that no entities are aiding or abetting the commission of unlawful acts.

Delegates also passed Labor Against War’s policy to recommend a full parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS, suspend participation and funding of the military pact and to take it out of the Labor’s National Platform.

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More than 500 people joined an emergency “Stop Starving Gaza” action, called by Justice for Palestine Magan-djin, on August 1 at the Central Station in Magan-djin/Brisbane. After banging pots and pans for almost an hour, protesters marched to the Queen Street Mall to continue the protest.

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Stop starving Gaza, Magan-djin/Brisbane, August 1. Photo: Alex Bainbridge

Justice for Palestine representatives emphasised that the starvation in Gaza is a deliberate policy, not an accident and that while Labor takes no concrete action to sanction Israel, it makes the government complicity in the genocide.

That night, members of the Palestinian community and supporters joined the iconic Luminous Lantern Parade on Southbank. Thousands cheered the watermelon lanterns and the banners calling for “Freedom, justice and peace”.

Free Palestine Far North Queensland organised a pots and pans protest to highlight Israel’s enforced starvation, on August 1, at Hind Rajab Place in Gimuy/Cairns.

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Townsville demands 'ceasefire now', August 2. Photo: Carly Sheil

People came together to show support for Palestine in Townsville on August 2 attracting many supportive honks and waves. Future actions are planned in the area, including a pots and pans protest on August 15.

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Rallying in the rain in Boorloo/Perth, August 2. Photo: Alex Salmon

Hundreds rallied despite rain in Boorloo/Perth on August 2 against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, demanding Australia sanction Israel, despite heavy rain on August 2. Alex Salmon reports protesters called for sanctions on Israel, a two-way arms embargo and the immediate expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, as well as calling for an end to the bombing and starvation of Gaza. Friends of Palestine WA’s next rally is on August 16 in Forest Place in Boorloo.

Members of the Palestine Action Group (PAGC) in Canberra hosted its weekly rally on August 2. This week’s memorial was for slain Palestinian journalist, Hossam Shabat, who was targeted for assassination because of his work. He was only 33 years old.

PAGC members also travelled to Gadigal Country/Sydney for the March for Humanity: Save Gaza rally.

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Marking the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima in Gadigal Country/Sydney, August 2. Photo: Supplied

Actions to mark the 80th anniversary of the unnecessary dropping of nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9), have also begun around the country.

A protest in Gadigal Country/Sydney on August 2 drew the links between the flatting of those cities with Israel’s bombing of Gaza.

An exhibition commemorating 80 years of resistance will be launched in Magan-djin/Brisbane on August 5.