Record turnout for pro-Palestine marches across Australia

After the UN’s announcement of famine in Gaza, supporters of Palestine filled the streets of various Australian cities to protest in solidarity.

According to Australian media, thousands marched across the country on Sunday evening local time, just days after the famine in Gaza was officially declared. Some estimates suggest that around half a million people participated in a series of protests across at least 40 cities in Australia.

In Brisbane, the largest pro-Palestine turnout in the city’s history was recorded. Organizers estimated that at least 50,000 people joined what they described as a historic march. A spokesperson for the group Justice for Palestine said it was the largest pro-Palestine gathering the city had ever seen.

They noted that the large turnout in Brisbane could be attributed to authorities banning the march across Story Bridge. After a judge vetoed the organizers’ plan to march over the bridge on Thursday, citing safety concerns, the organizers were forced to change the route.

The leader of Australia’s Green Party, who attended the march, said: “I think this is the largest gathering since the opposition to the Iraq war. It’s a real display of ordinary people’s sentiments, showing that our government needs to take more action.”

Queensland Police estimated the number of demonstrators at around 10,000.

In Melbourne, approximately 100,000 people participated, while Sydney also saw similar demonstrations. During Melbourne’s 97th consecutive weekend protest, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags from windows and balconies, chanting slogans such as: “Enough of the occupation” and “Boycott Israel now.”

A spokesperson for the Palestine Action group in Sydney said this movement is the largest of its kind to date. The Sunday protests came just weeks after between 90,000 to 300,000 people marched on August 3, following New South Wales Police’s failed attempt to block the protest in the Supreme Court.

They added that these demonstrations have sparked significant nationwide momentum, breaking barriers of support for Palestine and opposition to this ongoing genocide. Residents of Canberra also held similar pro-Palestine protests.

Organizers expected Sunday’s marches to be the largest pro-Palestine demonstrations in Australia’s history, with each major Palestinian advocacy group participating in coordinated protests across around 40 cities and towns.

Participants called for sanctions and an end to Australia’s arms trade with Israel. More than 250 organizations and social unions supported the events, demanding immediate and concrete steps to end the long-standing war on Gaza.

The shared demands of demonstrators included ending hunger and genocide in Gaza, sanctioning Israel, stopping bilateral arms trade with Israel, and freeing Palestine from occupation.