Harbour Bridge protest sparks community anger

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns have weighed in after Sunday’s so-called “March for Humanity” shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with concerns mounting over the cost to taxpayers and the offensive imagery and slogans displayed and shouted at the march.

Tens of thousands marched across the iconic landmark on Sunday to call for increased aid to Gaza and sanctions on Israel. Among them were Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former NSW Premier Bob Carr.

Participants in the demonstration, organised by Palestine Action Group (PAG) Sydney, waved Palestinian flags and chanted “We are all Palestinians.” Members of the crowd also chanted “long live the intifada”, “from the river to the sea” and “death, death to the IDF”.

Alongside Palestinian flags and anti-Israel placards – including Israeli flags superimposed with swastikas and images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler moustache – an Al Qaeda flag was also spotted, as was a portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Sky News revealed on Tuesday night that police are investigating some of the symbols.

NSW police said up to 90,000 people attended. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Peter McKenna said more than a thousand police were deployed and the size of the crowd had led to fears of a crush.