On 3 August 2025, the “March for Humanity” held on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia was a large-scale protest organized in response to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The march was organized by the Palestine Action Group Sydney. Its purpose was to draw attention to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade, and to urge the Australian government to recognize the State of Palestine.
Organization Process and Legal Battle
The Palestine Solidarity March held on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 3 August 2025 took place following a legally contentious process. On 28 July 2025, the Palestine Action Group Sydney formally notified the New South Wales (NSW) Police of their intent to organize the march. The organizers stated in their application that the march was an urgent response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and would be a peaceful demonstration.
Following its review, the NSW Police rejected the application, arguing that such a march on the bridge would endanger public safety. They claimed that adequate traffic management plans could not be implemented in time, crowd control on the bridge would be unfeasible, and risks such as dangerous crowd congestion could arise. NSW Premier Chris Minns stated that the protest could cause “chaos” in the city and that the government could not support an event of this scale on the bridge.
In response, on 1 August 2025, the NSW Police applied to the NSW Supreme Court for a prohibition order to ban the march. In their court submission, police argued that the march would “paralyze traffic flow,” “threaten public safety,” and “leave insufficient time to prepare for the event.” At the court hearing, protest organizer Josh Lees defended the urgency of the march due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and asserted that it reflected the conscience of the Australian public.
On 2 August 2025, the NSW Supreme Court rejected the police’s request for a ban. Justice Belinda Rigg acknowledged that concerns about public safety were “valid,” but found the organizers’ arguments regarding the peaceful nature and urgency of the march to be “compelling.” Rigg emphasized that the police had not provided concrete evidence that a ban would reduce the alleged security risks. The court permitted the closure of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to vehicular traffic from 11:30 on 3 August and allowed demonstrators to proceed with a controlled march. Major roads surrounding the bridge were also closed along the march route.
Number of Participants
Estimates of the number of participants in the Palestine Solidarity March on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 3 August 2025 varied. The New South Wales (NSW) Police reported approximately 90,000 attendees. In contrast, the organizers, Palestine Action Group Sydney, stated on their social media accounts that the number reached 300,000. Although there was a significant discrepancy between the official police figures and the organizers’ estimate, it was widely accepted that the march was one of the largest mass demonstrations in Australia in recent years.
Participants included people of all age groups, from families with strollers to elderly individuals. Among those present were WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, federal Labor Party MP Ed Husic, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, and former NSW Premier Bob Carr. This marked Julian Assange’s first public appearance at a major event since his release from a UK prison in June 2025.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi addressed the crowd and called for the strongest possible sanctions against Israel. Faruqi criticized NSW Premier Chris Minns for attempting to block the march. Federal Labor MP Ed Husic described the march as a significant milestone demonstrating the Australian public’s sensitivity to the Palestinian cause.
Events During the March
The Palestine Solidarity March on the Sydney Harbour Bridge began on Sunday, 3 August 2025, at 11:30, when the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in both directions. The closure of the bridge and surrounding major roads was a security measure implemented following the NSW Supreme Court’s approval of the march. The march commenced along the route designated by organizers, with demonstrators beginning their walk from the southern end of the bridge toward the north.
During the march, participants chanted slogans such as “Ceasefire Now,” “Free Palestine,” and “We are all Palestinians.” Some demonstrators carried pots and pans to symbolize Israel’s blockade and forced starvation policies in Gaza. Participants also carried banners urging the Australian government to impose harsher sanctions on Israel and recognize the State of Palestine in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Despite rainy weather conditions, participation remained high.
Due to the size of the demonstration, participants were turned back before reaching the planned endpoint at the northern end of the bridge. Organizer Josh Lees explained that police determined it was impossible to reach the designated assembly area at the northern end because of the march’s scale. Lees viewed the decision to return to the starting point as a positive development. The NSW Police reported that no injuries occurred during the protest and that the event passed generally peacefully.
Demonstrators demanded an end to Israel’s blockade and military operations in Gaza, called on the Australian government to recognize the State of Palestine, and urged the imposition of stronger sanctions against Israel. Participants also urged Australia to exert international diplomatic pressure to open the Rafah Border Crossing and ensure humanitarian access to Gaza. Palestinian demonstrator Shamikh Badra recounted the tragedy his family endured in Gaza and asserted that Australia must raise its voice against what he described as “genocide and forced starvation.”
Political Reactions and International Response
The Palestine Solidarity March on the Sydney Harbour Bridge generated significant domestic political反响 and attracted close international attention. Federal Labor MP Ed Husic attended the march and described it as “a call for awakening in Australian politics.” Husic highlighted the peaceful nature of the demonstration and emphasized that the Australian public harbors deep concern for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, in her speech at the march, called for the “harshest possible sanctions” against Israel and criticized NSW Premier Chris Minns for his opposition to the march. Faruqi stated that the protest reflected the public’s moral commitment to humanitarian values and that the government could not remain indifferent to this voice.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in a statement following the march, acknowledged that the event had proceeded peacefully and affirmed Australians’ right to exercise their democratic right to protest. Albanese stated that Australia would make an independent decision on recognizing the State of Palestine and emphasized that the country pursues an autonomous foreign policy. He condemned Israel’s obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza and its civilian casualties as unacceptable but declared that Australia would not act under pressure from other nations.
Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley condemned protests in major cities like Sydney that disrupt transportation networks, calling such disruptions unacceptable. She argued that the government must prioritize public order and the functioning of urban infrastructure. Ley criticized the march for impeding city traffic and asserted that mass demonstrations over overseas conflicts should not be permitted in city centers.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar issued a strong international condemnation of the march. Sa’ar labeled it “a distorted alliance between radical leftism and extremist Islam” and shared a social media image showing some demonstrators in Sydney holding a photograph of Iran’s religious leader Ali Khamenei to criticize the event. Sa’ar claimed that such demonstrations drag Western societies “to the margins of history.”
Alex Ryvchin, Co-Chair of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, stated that the march sent a negative message in the name of national unity. Ryvchin acknowledged that landmarks like the Sydney Harbour Bridge unite Australians but argued that this march exacerbated social division.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek, in her statement on the march, defended Australians’ right to peaceful protest and called on the government to take further action in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Plibersek emphasized that a conflict in which children are punished by starvation can no longer be ignored.
