Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has recognised the impact the Gaza situation is having on many Australians following the protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge but did not commit to a specific timeline for recognising Palestinian statehood.
Yesterday, over 100,000 people gathered at the iconic landmark after the Supreme Court, in a last-minute decision, rejected police efforts to block the demonstration.
The massive turnout, far exceeding the initial expectation of 10,000 participants, led authorities to halt the march and turn back the crowd due to public safety concerns.
Protesters were commended for holding a peaceful demonstration that ended without any injuries or arrests, despite earlier police warnings about potential risks.
Prime Minister Albanese voiced his support for those who “peacefully express their views,” acknowledging that Australians do feel strongly about this issue.
Yesterday’s march was peaceful and provided an opportunity for people to share their concerns about the situation in Gaza and the distressing images we’ve witnessed,” he said this afternoon.
It’s no surprise that so many Australians have been moved to express their concern over people being denied food, water, and essential services.
Demonstration is a vital part of democracy, and it’s important for people to have the ability to voice their views.
Today, the government announced an additional $20 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza.
NSW Reviews Court Decision After 100,000+ Join Peaceful Gaza Rally; $20 Million Aid Announced for Humanitarian Support
Albanese offered no further details on Australia’s position regarding Palestinian statehood, despite his government stating that recognition is a matter of “when, not if,” without setting a clear timeline.
The United Kingdom, Canada, and France have all indicated plans to recognise Palestine during a UN meeting in September, contingent on governance reforms.
While Hamas has refused to disarm until an “independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state” is established, Albanese made it clear he would not support Hamas playing any role in a future Palestinian government.
Western Sydney Labor MP Ed Husic, who joined yesterday’s historic march, urged Albanese to recognise Palestine as a state.
It’s in our interests to do it today,” he told Today this morning.
We have a set of conditions we believe are essential to the process, and the best way to see those conditions fulfilled is to engage early.
I think the sooner the better, but ultimately it’s the prime minister’s decision. He’s balancing many considerations before making that call, but I believe he would receive overwhelming support from Australians if he acted today.
NSW government assesses court decision over precedent fears
NSW Premier Chris Minns had openly voiced his concerns about the protest in the days leading up to it and maintained his opposition to the organisers.
I accept the court’s decision,” he told reporters today.
I also acknowledge that those who attended the protest acted peacefully. They demonstrated, followed police instructions, and the organisers cooperated with police under challenging circumstances.
Minns estimated that the protest cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
He said his government is reviewing the court’s judgment to determine whether it sets a precedent, emphasising, “We can’t shut down the bridge every weekend.
We’re examining the judgment to see if it creates a precedent or if it applies specifically to that single Form 1 application,” he explained.
No one should assume the bridge is now freely open for protests. Police must still assess public safety and the logistical implications.
Minns did not confirm whether he would introduce legislation to prevent future protests on the Harbour Bridge but said he is “not ruling anything out.
Sydney Harbour Bridge Sees Historic Gaza Protest as Albanese Acknowledges Australians’ Concerns but Delays Palestinian Statehood Timeline
Police Minister Yasmin Catley praised the police for their last-minute crowd control efforts, noting that “never before has there been a protest of that size in our city.
For a crowd of that scale to gather in the city, an event of this magnitude would typically require many months of preparation,” she said.
In fact, the marathon takes at least 10 months of planning to organise the logistics and ensure it runs safely. Police were clear that they did not have enough time to set up the necessary contingencies for such a large crowd entering the city.
The organisers, Palestine Action Group, described the day as “absolutely incredible” and said, “everyone should be so proud of themselves.
Minns predicted chaos. Instead, we saw exactly what we expected—a beautiful outpouring of humanity, marching together to end a genocide and calling on our government to sanction Israel,” the group said in a statement.
We’ve sent an enormous message to the world.
Among the crowd of 100,000 were WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, former NSW Premier Bob Carr, and several Labor and Greens MPs, who joined the protest against starvation in Gaza.
Palestine Action Group claimed attendance may have reached as high as 300,000.
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