Supreme Court rules that bridge march can proceed

The NSW Supreme Court has green-lit a march by ostensibly pro-Palestinian protesters across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday.

In ruling it could go ahead, Justice Belinda Rigg said organisers the Palestine Action Group (PAG) had “ensured that people’s safety was a priority” on previous protest days, according to The Australian.

The Australian reported that Justice Rigg accepted evidence from PAG organiser Josh Lees that the timing of the march was “based on his view that ‘we are at a critical moment, on the issue of Palestinian rights not only due to the crisis in Gaza, itself, but also due to awareness of that crisis brought about by the horrific images, published in the media recently’.”

(It is not clear whether Justice Rigg is aware that at least two such images have been debunked.)

“Mr Lees’ evidence indicates that the timing and the lodging of this proposed march and its location is directly responsive to the dramatic increase in the known suffering of Gazan citizens over the last weeks,” Justice Rigg said, according to The Australian.

The masthead said Justice Rigg noted that PAG had previously coordinated people during protests and even had “designated roles in communicating with police”, with Lees indicating that “support in the Australian community has been growing”.

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) expressed “deep disappointment” with Justice Rigg’s decision in a statement on Saturday night.

“We are concerned at the troubling precedent the Court has set by allowing this protest to take place on the Harbour Bridge,” the JBD said.

“Our city will effectively be paralysed tomorrow at the behest of a group which is already threatening, in its own words today, to ‘take the Harbour Bridge again’. At a time of strained social cohesion, an iconic Australian symbol and key arterial road should not be used to bring a divisive foreign conflict onto our streets.

“It is imperative that tomorrow’s march does not provide a platform for some of the hate we have previously seen at weekly demonstrations in the CBD.”

On Friday, JBD CEO Michele Goldman declared the Jewish community “will not be intimidated” by the planned march.

The Supreme Court hearing on Friday saw up to 80 supporters pack the courtroom, according to the Daily Telegraph as police opposed the so-called “March for Humanity” planned for Sunday.

In an email update to the NSW Jewish community, Goldman said “the use of the Harbour Bridge, a symbol to the world of our diverse and beautiful city, as a platform for protests that have all too often been used to spread hate and division is troubling”.

“This weekend, our city faces yet another moment of tension as protest organisers push ahead with plans for a mass march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We have heard the deep concern within our community about the heightened rhetoric surrounding Israel and the nature of this planned demonstration,” Goldman said.

Goldman welcomed both the Premier’s “strong public stance against the protest” and NSW Police’s decision not to authorise the event – which as now been overruled – citing “serious safety and logistical concerns”.

She expressed disappointment that organisers had indicated they would proceed even if they did not get legal authorisation, saying such “disregard for due process and public safety undermines both community trust and the democratic principles they claim to defend”.

“While organisers say the march is about conditions in Gaza, we have too often seen these events hijacked by extremist elements with no regard for peace, safety, or civil discourse,” Goldman said.

“As Premier Minns rightly said, this protest poses a logistical nightmare for families and commuters, and it raises genuine concerns for public safety. It is telling and will be noted by the vast majority of Sydneysiders that protestors have heard this advice and chosen to disregard it.”

Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Paul Johnson told the court on Friday the protest would pose “an unacceptable risk to the public”, with concerns about potential crowd crush among up to 50,000 attendees, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Lees told the Daily Telegraph the group had offered to postpone the march until 24 August, but indicated they would proceed regardless of the court’s decision.

The court battle came as Jewish community leaders drew parallels with the October 9, 2023 protest at the Sydney Opera House.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said earlier this week, “These protesters disgraced our country at the Opera House and dealt a blow to Australian decency from which we’re still reeling. The Premier is right to stop them from sullying another Australian icon.”

“Australians are sick of the cost, the disruptions and the extremism that come from these protests. This is the time to enforce our laws and ensure our city is open to everyone,” Ryvchin added.

Several Labor MPs and crossbenchers expressed support for the march despite Minns’ opposition.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Labor MPs Cameron Murphy, Sarah Kaine, Lynda Voltz, Anthony D’Adam and Stephen Lawrence all threw their support behind the march, joining 10 crossbenchers including Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and Greens MLCs.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman backed Minns’ position, saying “the protest should not occur on the bridge” and warning that approving it could set a precedent for future demonstrations.

Goldman said the Jewish Board of Deputies and Community Security Group would “remain in contact with authorities to ensure the community is safe and supported” over the weekend.

“I know that our community will — as always — meet this moment with strength, dignity, and pride. We will not be intimidated, and we will continue to live openly, proudly, and safely in the city we call home,” she said.