Thousands March for Palestine Across Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney’s Harbour Bridge turned into a sea of umbrellas on Sunday as tens of thousands of people joined the “March for Humanity,” a pro-Palestinian rally that organizers described as “historic.”

The demonstration went ahead after the New South Wales Supreme Court granted approval just a day earlier, marking a rare closure of the iconic bridge for a public protest.

Despite heavy rain, families, activists, and community members walked across the bridge, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Many carried signs urging politicians to “stop the war,” while chants of “Shame, shame Israel, shame, shame USA” and “What do we want? Ceasefire! When do we want it? Now!” echoed over the harbor.

Among those spotted in the crowd were WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, federal MP Ed Husic, and former NSW Premier Bob Carr.

For many, the march was deeply personal. “I know it’s the other side of the world, but it affects us here massively as well,” said father Alec Beville, who brought his three-year-old son Frankie. “The children in Gaza could be him. We could be doing so much more to help with aid.”

Zara Williams, carrying her baby Avery in a sling, expressed frustration with Australia’s stance. “Our government hasn’t put any decent sanctions on Israel,” she said. “We just can’t do nothing while there’s a forced starvation of an entire population.”

Police officers, including riot squad members, were stationed along the bridge to oversee the peaceful demonstration. Two hours into the march, NSW Police sent participants a text message instructing them to stop walking north and return toward the city for safety reasons.

Authorities have not yet released an official attendance figure, but organizers said the turnout reflected growing public support for Palestinians. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was last closed for a major public event in 2023, when 50,000 people marched during World Pride.