Pro-Palestine march on Sydney Harbour Bridge to go ahead after week-long legal fight

The Australian

14 hours ago

The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be completely closed to traffic for at least four hours on Sunday, as thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators are expected to march across the landmark.
Police and transport officials have urged people to avoid the CBD altogether and to limit non-essential travel, warning that there will be 'significant disruption' across roads and the public transport network.
It comes after a NSW Supreme Court ruling not to block the march, with as many as 50,000 protesters anticipated to join in the protest.
Police had sought to prohibit the rally, and NSW Premier Chris Minns had warned of 'chaos' if it was allowed to go ahead.
The protest has been backed by many, including Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, but the court decision has been criticised by Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin who said it had caused 'dismay'.
Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees appeared in court arguing the protest should be protected. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
'Significant impact'
Transport for NSW Executive Director Operations Management Craig Moran urged motorists to avoid the eastern part of the city as the closures are set to cause 'significant impacts'.
'We will have to start closing the Harbour Bridge from around 11.30 tomorrow,' he said.
'We're hoping that we can get the bridge open by about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It may take a little bit longer.'
Bus services will be terminating in the CBD on the south side of the bridge and North Sydney and St Leonards area on the north side.
'Trains will still be running across the Harbour Bridge during the course of the event, but with additional people in the city, particularly at the end of the march, getting on the rail systems, the rail will be very busy.
'If you can avoid non-essential travel, please do so because there will be flow on effects in various different areas.'
Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said the police presence would be 'significant'. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
'Have to scramble now'
Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna said police respected the Supreme Court decision but urged participants to listen to police as they monitor the large crowd.
'People who come in to do the right thing and have a safe protest … we will work with them. But if people come in and commit any type of offences, anti-social behaviour, or anything else that puts the public safety at risk, we'll have no hesitation but to take action,' he said.
Police will be drafted in from other areas, Mr McKenna said, adding that it takes a long time to organise such closures and 'we have to scramble now, there's no doubt about that'.
He said: 'We've got to get the messaging out to the community who may have wanted to come into the city tomorrow, who will be inconvenienced by tomorrow, that these closures are occurring and there will be significant disruptions.'
The Federal Court has approved the March for Humanity walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
'Historic day'
Speaking after the decsion, Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees said the decision was a 'huge victory for the Palestine movement in this country'.
'It means tomorrow we will be having an absolutely massive march for humanity over the Sydney Harbour Bridge,' he said.
'This is going to be a historic day.'
The Palestine Action Group said the win is thanks to a 'tidal wave of support'.
'In the case of the people vs. Chris Minns, the people have won,' the group said in a statement.
'This victory belongs to all of us. We won because of the tidal wave of support. It is absolutely historic. We said we were unstoppable, and we are.'
The Federal Court has approved the March for Humanity walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
'Protected'
More than 500 people tuned in to watch Justice Rigg give her judgment, in which she said: 'The fact the proposed assembly is likely to cause significant inconvenience to residents … is far from determinative.
'If matters such as this were to be determinative, no assembly involving inconvenience to others would be permitted.'
The ruling means protesters will be protected from being charged with offences like obstructing traffic, however police retain their usual powers to address 'anti-social behaviour'.
Justice Rigg said the organisers' certainty of the march proceeding means the Sydney Harbour Bridge would have to be closed for the protest, whether it was authorised or not.
'The evidence indicates there is significant support for the march,' she said.
'The march at this location is motivated by the belief that the horror and urgency of the situation in Gaza demands an urgent and extraordinary response from the people of the world.'
The bridge will be shut for at least four hours on Sunday. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer
The court was told that when the initial plans for a protest were made, they estimated 10,000 people would take part, but that support for the march had grown with organisers claiming there could now be up to 50,000 participants.
'PAG (Palestine Action Group) has ensured that people's safety is a priority in terms of seeking and obtaining authorisation … There are 100 marshals organised for tomorrow's planned march, but this number can be increased,' the court was told.
'PAG believes in the power of numbers and has worked hard to try and build a mass peaceful protest movement, which embraces all who want to be part of it.
'Ground rules for protests are well established, including no racism of any kind, including anti-Semitism.'
Police confirmed the behaviour of attendees at public assemblies has been 'largely peaceful', the court heard. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
'Plenty of other places to protest'
The court was told the Palestine Action Group had developed a constructive relationship with police and there had been compromises between both parties over time.
'I find important the extensive evidence of the high level of commitment and experience in the PAG to prosocial protest,' Justice Rigg said.
'I reject the submission … that if the court does not make the order they are condoning scenes of violence,' she said.
The court was also told there have been more than 1000 assemblies in New South Wales since October 2023 in response to the conflict in Palestine and Israel.
'Assistant Commissioner (Adam) Johnson confirms … the behaviour of attendees at these public assemblies has been largely peaceful.'
The court was told there have been 140 arrests, and incidents included the burning of an Israeli flag, a flare thrown at police, 'chants at a rally which were interpreted by some as anti-Semitic', and the alleged display of a prohibited terrorist symbol.
Mr Ryvchin said the protest would 'paralyse the city'.
He said: 'We take comfort knowing that the vast majority of Australians want no part of this. 'We continue to pray for the starved and tortured hostages still held in Gaza, whose fate is ignored or belittled by the protesters.'
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said there were 'plenty of other places to protest' aside from the Harbour Bridge.
'I respect the freedom to protest, including with rallies and marches, but allowing the takeover of the Harbour Bridge for a protest in the middle of the day sets the wrong precedent for the future,' he said.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott warned of a 'slippery slope', arguing judges should not decide when political protest is justified.
Writing on X, he said: 'It should not be for judges to decide when a political protest is justified.
'The decision to close the Sydney Harbour Bridge to facilitate this protest is a political decision and should be made by elected and accountable ministers – who as it happens, think the march should not go ahead.
'We are on a slippery slope when unelected judges start making political judgments.'
A spokesperson for the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies said: 'Freedom of expression and assembly are sacrosanct elements of our democracy which must be treasured but we are concerned at the precedent the Court has set by allowing this protest to take place on the Harbour Bridge.
'At a time of strained social cohesion, an iconic Australian symbol and key arterial road should not be used to bring a divisive foreign conflict onto our streets.'