
Pro-Palestinian protestors head for Brisbane's Story Bridge Queensland Police mull permission
Brisbane's Story bridge is set to attract thousands of people, and Queensland Police must now decide whether it allows the protest to proceed.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pro-Palestine rally planned to shut down Brisbane Story Bridge.
'We are taking this protest to the Story Bridge to reflect the urgency of the situation in Gaza,' protest organisers Justice for Palestine said.
'This is the same bridge our Lord Major refused to light in the colours of the Palestinian flag, denying solidarity to a grieving community. This protest is a reminder that we might be the ones spared the bombs, but we are not spared the responsibility.'
The protest is set begin in Raymond Park in Kangaroo Park, and move over the bridge, finishing up at Centenary Place in Fortitude Valley — these plans have been sent to police, who have been contacted by 7NEWS.com.au for comment.
About 7000 protestors are so far expected to march on Story Bridge, but that could also be an underestimation — an unexpectedly large turnout on the Sydney Harbour Bridge last Sunday for the same cause demonstrated just how much bigger the crowd could get.
NSW Police estimated about 90,000 people showed up in Sydney to march slowly in the rain, but protest organisers said that as many as 300,000 people attended throughout the day.
While the protest went smoothly and without incident, Sydney authorities feared a crowd crush and initiated a last-minute operation involving a helicopter, loud speaker, and city-wide text messages, to turn the masses around on the bridge.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said his government would examine whether a legal precedent has been set by the Supreme Court judgement that allowed the rally to proceed.
Justice Belinda Rigg said the bridge would have been closed to traffic regardless of whether the rally was authorised or not, in her determination declining to prohibit the march.
Rallies in Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne are also being organised for the same day as the Story Bridge protest in Brisbane, by Palestine Action Group.
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