Julian Assange joins pro-Palestinian march in Australia

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and demanding recognition of a Palestinian state. Among them was WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had recently returned to Australia after spending years in detention in the UK.

Despite heavy rain and strong winds, the crowd moved across the landmark, chanting “Ceasefire now” and “Free Palestine,” turning the 1.15km bridge into a platform for one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations the city has seen.

Assange was seen marching with family and flanked by former Australian foreign minister and New South Wales premier Bob Carr.

Security was visibly heightened, with New South Wales police deploying hundreds of officers across the city to oversee the event.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, addressing protesters at Sydney’s Lang Park, declared the march a “historic” moment and called for sweeping sanctions against 'Israel'. “Harshest sanctions on Israel,” she urged, accusing its military of "massacring" civilians in Gaza. She also criticized Premier Chris Minns for attempting to discourage the rally.

Several demonstrators held placards bearing the names of Palestinian children killed since the aggression started in October 2023. Labor backbencher Ed Husic was also in attendance, using the moment to push for the recognition of Palestine by his own party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The rally comes amid a shifting international tone. France, Britain, and Canada have recently expressed openness, some more cautiously than others, to officially recognize a Palestinian state. Australia has so far refrained from doing so, but last week joined more than a dozen nations in a joint statement expressing “positive consideration... to recognise the state of Palestine as an essential step towards the two-State solution.”

The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 60,000 according to the health ministry there, fueling global outrage and calls for intervention.