By: Fern Sidman

Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge on Sunday in one of the largest pro-Hamas, pro-terror rallies in Australia to date, calling for expanded aid to Gaza and sanctions on Israel. The “March for Humanity,” organized by Palestine Action Group Sydney, unfolded under heavy rain but drew a vast and diverse crowd, ranging from families with children to prominent public figures, according to Reuters.

The demonstration came as Australia faces growing pressure to clarify its policy on Palestinian statehood, just days after a senior minister said Canberra would eventually recognize a Palestinian state. It also coincided with intensifying international criticism of Israel amid mounting reports of hunger in Gaza, which Israel denies.

Participants crossed the Harbour Bridge, a landmark and major traffic artery, after a New South Wales Supreme Court ruling on Saturday permitted the rally to proceed despite police and state government objections. Officials had warned that closing the bridge to accommodate the demonstration risked significant safety and transportation hazards, Reuters reported.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Peter McKenna told reporters that more than 1,000 police officers were deployed to monitor the event and manage crowd safety. Police estimates placed the turnout at up to 90,000, far above expectations. Organizers, however, claimed that as many as 300,000 may have marched. “No one was hurt,” McKenna said, adding that the massive turnout had raised fears of a potential crush. “But gee whiz, I wouldn’t like to try and do this every Sunday at that short notice.”

Demonstrators carried Palestinian flags, banged pots and pans as symbols of hunger in Gaza, and chanted slogans such as “We are all Palestinians” and “Long live the intifada.” The report in The Times of Israel noted that at least one marcher carried a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, underscoring the presence of diverse ideological currents within the demonstration.

The Palestine Action Group Sydney outlined its demands on social media prior to the rally: the removal of restrictions on humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, an “immediate Israeli ceasefire and withdrawal,” and the imposition of sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel. Notably, the group did not reference Hamas or the more than 50 Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, according to information in The Times of Israel report.

Among those present was WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who recently returned to Australia, and former foreign minister Bob Carr. Protesters marched with umbrellas in the rain, while some carried placards urging global solidarity with Palestinians.

Australia’s center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has consistently voiced support for a two-state solution while acknowledging Israel’s right to self-defense. Yet he has also said that Israel’s restrictions on aid deliveries and the killing of civilians in Gaza “cannot be defended or ignored.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers reinforced this position in a recent interview with Australian broadcaster ABC, saying recognition of a Palestinian state was inevitable. “It’s a matter of when, not if, Australia recognizes a Palestinian state… but I don’t want to put a time frame on it,” he said, according to the Reuters report.

The Albanese government, however, has not taken the formal step of recognition, a move that France and Canada announced in recent weeks. Britain has also said it will move in that direction unless Israel takes steps to end the humanitarian crisis, reach a ceasefire, and re-enter peace talks.

Israel has sharply condemned these recognitions as premature and dangerous, framing them as rewarding Hamas for its October 7 assault. That attack killed around 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of more than 250 hostages, according to The Times of Israel. Israeli officials argue that recognition of Palestinian statehood at this juncture undermines Israel’s security and legitimizes Hamas’s actions.

The humanitarian toll in Gaza has become a central issue driving global protests. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims more than 60,000 people have been killed or are presumed dead since the start of the conflict. These figures, which cannot be independently verified, do not distinguish between civilians and fighters. Israel, by contrast, maintains it has killed roughly 20,000 Hamas combatants in Gaza as of January, in addition to 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 attack.

Israel emphasized that it seeks to minimize civilian casualties and insists that Hamas deliberately embeds itself within civilian infrastructure — including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques — thereby making those areas legitimate military targets under the laws of war. As of the latest count, 459 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground campaign and related border operations, according to Reuters.

Sunday’s march followed months of growing demonstrations across Australian cities. Melbourne also saw a parallel protest on the same day, monitored by a significant police presence. The scale of the Sydney event, however, was unprecedented.

Speakers at the march accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel rejects. “Enough is enough,” said Doug, a man in his 60s, quoted by Reuters. “When people from all over the world gather together and speak up, then evil can be overcome.”

The Times of Israel reported that chants invoking the Palestinian intifadas, which killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings and shootings during the 1980s and 2000s, were heard throughout the rally. Critics argue that such rhetoric reveals the overlap between humanitarian advocacy and more radical calls for confrontation.

The protests have coincided with a spike in antisemitic incidents across Australia since October 7. Authorities are investigating whether foreign actors are providing support for anti-Israel demonstrations that have, in some cases, included harassment of Jewish community members. The Times of Israel report noted that Jewish leaders in Sydney and Melbourne have expressed concern that large pro-Hamas rallies are increasingly serving as platforms for antisemitic rhetoric.

For Australia, the Sydney Harbour Bridge protest encapsulates the delicate balance the Albanese government must navigate. On one hand, growing segments of the public are demanding recognition of Palestine and harsher criticism of Israel’s campaign in Gaza. On the other, Canberra faces pressure from allies and domestic communities to ensure that support for Palestinian rights does not drift into legitimizing Hamas or eroding Australia’s historic ties with Israel.

As the Reuters report emphasized, Sunday’s march occurred against a backdrop of escalating diplomatic pressure on Israel, as more Western states signal readiness to extend recognition to Palestine. The Albanese government has not yet committed to that path, but its rhetoric suggests movement in that direction is likely.

In the meantime, the Harbour Bridge — a symbol of Australia’s identity — became the stage for one of the largest mass gatherings in the country’s history on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The “March for Humanity” signaled not only the depth of public sentiment but also the degree to which the Gaza war has become an issue resonating far beyond the Middle East, reverberating into Australia’s politics, communities, and national debate.