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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange joined tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, temporarily closing the iconic Australian landmark.
Assange, who returned to Australia last year following his release from a high-security prison in the UK, was seen surrounded by family members and walking alongside former foreign minister and New South Wales premier Bob Carr.
The large-scale protest took place amid growing international calls for Palestinian statehood. France, Canada and the UK have recently expressed varying levels of support for recognising Palestine, amid rising global outrage over conditions in Gaza, where malnutrition and civilian casualties have triggered widespread criticism.
While Australia has urged an end to the conflict, it has yet to formally recognise a Palestinian state. However, in a joint declaration alongside more than a dozen countries last Tuesday, it expressed “willingness or positive consideration” towards recognising Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution.
Despite heavy wind and rain, the demonstrators marched across the bridge, chanting slogans such as “ceasefire now” and “free Palestine”. The New South Wales police deployed hundreds of additional officers across Sydney to manage the event.
Speaking at Lang Park in central Sydney, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi told the crowd the rally would be remembered as a historic moment. She called for Australia to impose severe sanctions on Israel, accusing the Israeli military of carrying out a massacre in Gaza. She also condemned NSW Premier Chris Minns for previously suggesting the protest should not take place.
Protesters held banners listing the names of thousands of Palestinian children killed since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, which began after a deadly Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. That assault left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians, and saw 251 people taken hostage. According to the Israeli military, 49 of those hostages remain in Gaza, including 27 believed to be dead.
Labor MP Ed Husic also joined the protest, calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the ruling Labor government to recognise a Palestinian state.
Assange did not speak publicly during the march nor engage with the media.
The protest comes during intensifying pressure on Israel to end the bombardment, which Gaza’s health ministry says has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge, which spans more than a kilometre and was opened in 1932, remains one of the most recognisable symbols of Australia.
