Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks and a prominent human rights advocate, joined a mass pro-Palestinian demonstration in Sydney on Sunday. Marching alongside thousands of protesters, Assange crossed the iconic Harbour Bridge, which was temporarily closed due to the scale of the protest.
Recently returned to Australia after being released from a high-security prison in the UK, Assange was seen walking with his family and accompanied by former Australian Foreign Minister and former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr. Assange did not address the crowd or speak to the media during the event.
Defying rain and gusty winds, demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Ceasefire Now” and “Free Palestine,” with many carrying banners bearing the names of Palestinian children killed in Gaza.
The New South Wales Police reported deploying hundreds of additional officers across Sydney in anticipation of the protest.
At a subsequent rally in Sydney’s Lang Park, Greens Senator for New South Wales, Mehreen Faruqi, told the crowd, “This march will make history.” She called for the imposition of the toughest international sanctions on Israel and sharply criticized NSW Premier Chris Minns for attempting to block the demonstration.
Labor MP Ed Husic also attended the protest and urged the Albanese government to formally recognize the State of Palestine.
While France, the UK, and Canada have recently expressed conditional support for recognizing a Palestinian state, Australia has not yet taken an official position. However, on Tuesday, Australia joined over a dozen countries in issuing a joint statement expressing a willingness to recognize Palestine as part of a broader two-state solution. The move has been hailed as a significant step toward a peaceful resolution.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of conflict following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
The Harbour Bridge, with its twin arch design and over one kilometer in length, has stood as a global symbol of Sydney since its opening in 1932.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian, France 24