Pro-Palestine protesters defiant as court battle over Sydney Harbour Bridge march looms

Organisers of a pro-Palestine march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge are defiant as threats of court action loom, with civil society groups writing to the Premier to support the rally.

The Palestine Action Group filed a Form 1 with NSW Police last week, seeking to march across the bridge on Sunday in protest of mass starvation in Gaza.

Police are expected to seek to block the protest at the Supreme Court in Sydney on Thursday following staunch pushback from NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns.

He vowed not to allow the march go ahead at any point, claiming that Sydney would “descend into chaos” and it was a logistical “Everest”.

Organisers said they received a summons at 4.30pm on Wednesday from NSW Police to attend court, though as of Thursday morning no time had been set for the hearing.

It comes after 55 union and civil society groups signed a letter to the Premier on Thursday, urging him to “facilitate the exercise of the democratic right of protest”.

“Seeking to shut down this rally would be a serious departure from the NSW State and Police’s responsibility to uphold the democratic right of protest,” the letter said.

“We urge your government to facilitate the exercise of democratic freedoms in collaboration with community groups and support the holding of this protest.”

Organisers and the signees have repeatedly cited previous shutdowns of the bridge, including for the filming of a movie and the World Pride march in 2023.

Human Rights Watch, the Redfern Legal Centre, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, and Asylum Seeker Centre are among the groups to sign the letter.

Activists say the protest, which was expected to be attended by tens of thousands of people, comes at an urgent time as deliberate mass starvation grips Gaza.

Israel has become increasingly isolated over its nearly two-year campaign following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack.

On Thursday, Canada joined France and the UK in recognising a Palestinian state in a retaliatory move over the aid situation in Gaza.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has in recent days ramped up his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza but fallen short of committing to recognising Palestinian statehood.

Protesters have rallied across Australia’s major cities near weekly since Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna on Tuesday said police would be lodging an application with the Supreme Court to deem the bridge protest unlawful.

In NSW, police can support a Form 1 application for a protest, which affords protesters protection from anti-assembly laws, or oppose it in court.

Mr McKenna said the decision to oppose the protest was made independently of Mr Minns, citing risks that emergency services may be blocked.

Mr Minns has faced dissent from within his own party over his staunch opposition to the protest, which is backed by the Greens and some independents.

Labor MLC Stephen Lawrence said in a statement he was “concerned the Premier has, in effect, made a purported decision himself to try and prevent this protest”.

“This will taint proper consideration of the matter by police, and that violence may ensue as a consequence,” he said on Tuesday night.

A second Labor MP, Anthony D’Adam, also accused Mr Minns of being “more concerned about traffic flow than the plight of starving children in Gaza”.