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Tens of thousands across Australia protest Israel’s genocide in Gaza
Peaceful rallies were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and dozens of other cities across the country, with protesters urging sanctions on Israel and an end to Australia's arms trade with Israel, AP reported.
Police estimated about 10,000 people took part, while organizers said 100,000 marched in Sydney alone. They put the total figure at 300,000 across the nation.
In Melbourne, protesters congregated outside Victoria’s State Library, chanting "sanction Israel now".
Organizer Nour Salman said Australia’s plans to recognize Palestinian statehood, in step with like-minded allies at the next United Nations meeting in September, must be accompanied by tougher sanctions on Israel.
"Enough is enough. There is no ifs, buts or maybes," the activist said.
This was the second round of major pro-Palestine protests in Australia this month after tens of thousands took to the streets of Sydney earlier in August and shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
In Adelaide, about 5,000 people chanting "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" gathered in Victoria Square, before marching to Parliament House, where they were addressed by independent senator Fatima Payman.
The protests came after the world’s leading authority on food crises said Friday the Gaza Strip’s largest city is gripped by famine, and that it’s likely to spread across the territory without a cease-fire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said more than half a million people in Gaza — about a quarter of its population — face catastrophic levels of hunger, with many at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes. Israel has rejected the report's findings.
At least 62,263 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s onslaught since it started on October 7, 2023.