Historic Palestine Protest Draws 90,000 Across Harbour Bridge
Image: March for Humanity across Sydney Harbour Bridge on August 3, 2025 Source: @jordana_s_ via X
Despite grey skies and heavy rain, tens of thousands marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday in a powerful show of support for the pro-Palestine protest.
Organisers, Palestine Action Group (PAG), had anticipated 50,000 protesters after winning a Supreme Court challenge, but nearly double that number showed up, according to NSW Police.
Chants of “Free, Free Palestine” and “We are all Palestinian” echoed across the bridge just after 1:30pm, as waves of people streamed from the city toward North Sydney.
Placards, Palestinian flags, and umbrellas filled the lanes in a peaceful display of solidarity with Gaza in PAG’s March for Humanity.
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#MarchForHumanity about to depart across the iconic #SydneyHarbourBridge
Huge crowds in Sydney today pic.twitter.com/B5DEPp46H1
— Dan Valencic (@DValencic) August 3, 2025
Police redirect pro-Palestine protest mid-march citing ‘crowd crush’ risk
Just over an hour in, the massive turnout led to a bottleneck on the bridge. NSW Police issued geo-targeted alerts at 3pm, urging participants to stop and turn back due to “public safety” concerns.
The sudden shift caused widespread confusion, leaving protesters uncertain which way to go.
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Police stated the safest option was for protesters to turn back toward the city, warning of overcrowding at the northern end and the risk of overwhelming train stations and other transport.
While the initial route had protesters dispersing at North Sydney’s Bradfield Park, police reversed course mid-march and redirected the crowd back into the CBD.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna later said the move was necessary due to the “real risk of crowd crush,” given the unexpected scale of attendance.
But some protesters said the confusion was worsened by the presence of riot squad vehicles and sudden mid-march directives.
“There were people with strollers, walkers, dogs, families—all of Sydney was out there,” said one marcher. “Then suddenly it was, ‘turn back.’”
He added that the police “didn’t handle the crush situation properly and facilitate a smooth flow,” describing their instructions as chaotic.
With Milsons Point and Kings Cross stations closed, public transport was quickly overwhelmed. Many marchers had no choice but to walk back across the bridge.
The bridge was finally cleared and reopened to traffic around 5pm, about an hour behind schedule.
Greens Senator Faruqi and others call for concrete action from govt. leaders
A packed speaker lineup addressed the crowd earlier at Lang Park on 3 August.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi called the event “historic” and criticised NSW Premier Chris Minns‘ earlier attempts to block it.
Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser also condemned the pro-Palestine protest, calling it “divisive” and arguing the Harbour Bridge should not be used to express foreign conflicts.
Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster urged Australians to act: “The starving children of Gaza cannot wait another day. Let’s respond with courage, solidarity, and unyielding strength.”
He called on the government to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to address the humanitarian crisis.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former NSW Premier Bob Carr were also among those in attendance, according to The Guardian.
Julian Assange & Craig Foster help carry banner & march on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Thank you to them both. Thank you to all who marched, who called for peace & an end to the genocide. The world is watching. #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/0lDENqnqs4
— stranger (@strangerous10) August 3, 2025
Actor Meyne Wyatt, writer Randa Abdel-Fattah, activist Tania Safi, and representatives from Amnesty International and the Maritime Union were among others who condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza and echoed the call for urgent action.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore also lent her support, stating, “Discomfort from traffic can’t be compared to what’s happening in Gaza.”
Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz, supported the event, saying it reflected a “cry for moral leadership” in the face of global inaction.
“This is a time for all of us, especially those in power, to do everything they can to halt an active genocide,” she said.
Reminder: If you hear anyone claiming the #MarchForHumanity #SaveGaza March across the Sydney Harbour Bridge today in support of Palestine is somehow anti-Semitic, the Jewish Council of Australia supports it. 👇 And here’s their full media release: https://t.co/VtjSWTdDtA pic.twitter.com/YGYNjZqSQE
— Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) August 3, 2025
Parallel pro-Palestine protest takes place in Melbourne
A simultaneous protest also took place in Melbourne, where demonstrators rallied in the CBD’s King Street, joining Sydney in criticising the government’s muted response to the genocide in Gaza.
Easily over 15k people in Melbourne and much more strollin on in who are supporting an end to the genocide.
You might be sick of the protests, but we’re sick of children being starved to death. #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/J6TjYxyXTe
— Wazza from Melbourne (@Melbourne_says) August 3, 2025
Despite disorganisation around crowd control and a lack of clear exit planning, the event remains one of Sydney’s largest mobilisations in recent years—since World Pride 2023.
For many, the message rang louder than the rain thanks to the landmark turnout: support for Palestine is not waning.
And for those who marched, the takeaway was clear: this movement isn’t going anywhere.
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