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| Sydney’s Harbour Bridge Historic March for Palestine Photo YouTube |
Yesterday, Sydney witnessed a moment of history. In the face of political opposition and last-minute legal challenges, tens of thousands of people—some estimates suggest up to 90,000—marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a powerful display of solidarity with the Palestinian people. It was a day that proved, unequivocally, that people power can and will overcome attempts to silence dissent. From the outset, police and government officials expressed their fears, with the Premier warning of “chaos” and police challenging the protest in court. They even resorted to using the city’s emergency warning system to direct the crowd to turn back, a measure they haven’t taken in over 20 years. Assange’s participation, one of his first public appearances since his return to Australia, sends a powerful message about the global importance of speaking truth to power and standing up for human rights.
The immense size of the crowd was not a sign of a “perilous situation” but a testament to the depth of feeling in our community. The fact that the march was so much larger than our initial estimate of 10,000 people should not be a cause for fear, but for reflection. It shows that the government and the media have fundamentally misunderstood the level of public outrage over the ongoing crisis.
For months, we have seen attempts to marginalize and demonize the pro-Palestine movement. But yesterday, the people of Sydney proved that they will not be intimidated. The fact that the police, at one point, had to send a city-wide text message to turn the crowd around shows just how overwhelming the public turnout was. It was a clear and powerful message to our politicians that their inaction and complicity will not be tolerated.