logo
Melbourne pro-Palestine protestors threaten to shut down King Street Bridge

Melbourne pro-Palestine protestors threaten to shut down King Street Bridge

Sky News AU3 days ago
Pro-Palestine protesters are threatening to shut down the King Street Bridge in Melbourne today.
This will cause chaos and delays for anybody who uses this crucial part of the city.
Protestors are planning to meet at midday at the State Library before arriving at the bridge.
Extra police have been pulled from four regions across the state to assist in disruptions.
All of this comes as the Supreme Court in NSW gave the green light for protestors to stage a very similar protest at the Harbour Bridge.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘You've got a two-tier system': Nigel Farage reacts to Harbour Bridge demonstrations
‘You've got a two-tier system': Nigel Farage reacts to Harbour Bridge demonstrations

Sky News AU

time2 hours ago

  • Sky News AU

‘You've got a two-tier system': Nigel Farage reacts to Harbour Bridge demonstrations

Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage discusses the 'two-tier system' taking place in Australia and other Western nations regarding the rise of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Police estimated 90,000 demonstrators took part in the 'March for Humanity' through the heart of Sydney, which shut down the Harbour Bridge from 11.30am to about 5pm, although it was originally scheduled to end at 4pm. 'What you are seeing in Australia, as we are seeing in London, is the effective surrender to the pro-Palestinian mob,' Mr Farage told Sky News host Paul Murray. 'They are scoring victories across the Western world because governments, police forces, the authorities are frankly now just too scared to stand up to them.'

Labor urges Israel to end Gaza war before hostage release
Labor urges Israel to end Gaza war before hostage release

The Australian

time4 hours ago

  • The Australian

Labor urges Israel to end Gaza war before hostage release

Labor is urging Israel to end the war in Gaza before the remaining hostages held by Hamas are ­returned, in a significant move away from its previous calls for the release of the Israelis to be the priority before a deal was struck to end the conflict and recognise Palestine. In her strongest language on the conflict and the urgency of achieving Palestinian recognition, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said there would 'be no Palestine left to recognise' should the global community wait much longer to do so. The comments are part of growing momentum within Labor to recognise Palestine in the near future, with Anthony ­Albanese revealing on Tuesday he had spoken to the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, overnight and committed to meeting him on the sidelines of the UN General ­Assembly next month. 'Prime Minister Albanese ­reiterated Australia's call for the immediate entry of aid to meet needs of people of Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the release of all hostages,' a readout of the call stated. 'Prime Minister Albanese also reinforced Australia's commitment to a two-state solution ­because a just and lasting peace depends upon it.' While Senator Wong has ­previously listed the return of hostages as being among the most-pressing priorities since the Hamas ­terror attack on October 7, 2023, the senior Labor ­senator said Israel needed to end the war before that outcome was achieved, not after. Senator Wong declared Australians were 'all horrified to watch the depraved spectacle' of Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski 'paraded' around by Hamas, but said the onus lay with Israel now to end the war. 'What I would say is the ­government's view is the same as the 600 former Israeli security ­officials, who have written ­publicly, urging Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu to end the war and making the very important point that the end of the war is the only way to save the hostages,' Senator Wong told the ABC. She added that the Albanese government was clear in its view that it was a breach of international law to stop food being ­delivered, which she said 'was the decision Israel made in March'. Senator Wong did not rule out further sanctions on Israeli officials, but said her government would 'prefer to move with other (countries)' in taking such action in order for the move to have 'more effect'. The Foreign Minister's comments add to speculation that Australia will likely recognise Palestine in September, given other countries such as France and Canada have already committed to doing so. 'There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the international community don't move to create that pathway to a two-state solution,' Senator Wong said. Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash accused Senator Wong of using 'hyperbole to justify the Albanese government's premature rush to recognise a Palestinian state before there is a pathway for it to be viable'. 'Hyperbole is not foreign ­policy, and this is not a solution,' Senator Cash said. 'It's reactionary symbolism without substance. That may suit Labor politically but it is a ­deviation from Australia's longstanding foreign policy of a two-state solution. 'Australian foreign policy should not be being used to ­advance the domestic political priorities of the Labor Party.' The comments come amid some disquiet in Coalition ranks over the language used by the opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, with concerns that the messaging was not ­palatable in some electorates. Ahead of his call with Mr Abbas this week, Mr Albanese submitted a request to speak ­directly with Mr ­Netanyahu. The request was made before Sunday's court-approved protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge by pro-­Palestinian supporters, which forced the closure of Sydney's largest road crossing for about five hours. Senator Wong said she had 'anticipated' would attract as many as it did, given 'the distress of Australians on what we are seeing unfolding in Gaza'. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin took a swipe at Senator Wong's calls for the war to end before hostages were ­released and said Israel had 'a moral obligation' to bring its people home no matter the cost. 'Israel has a moral obligation to do everything it can, diplomatically and militarily, to bring its starved and tortured people home,' Mr Ryvchin said. 'We would demand no less of our own government. 'We agree with the Foreign Minister that a permanent end to the war offers the best hope of saving the remaining hostages. 'But Israel accepted the ­internationally-brokered ceasefire that would have seen the ­unfettered flow of aid, the phased return of hostages and a pathway to a permanent end to the war. 'Hamas has rejected it since May. It is unsatisfactory for this material fact to be omitted, giving the false impression that ­Israel is the barrier to the ceasefire and not Hamas.' Read related topics: Israel Nation As Tim Gurner and Graham Turner blast the policy, smaller employers from the NSW-Victorian border say it's just another example of why it's easier to run a business 'across the river'. Politics Mining giant Fortescue's abandoned clean energy projects have left taxpayers exposed to millions in grants amid mounting scrutiny of government renewable subsidies.

Israel poised to order new Gaza war plan
Israel poised to order new Gaza war plan

News.com.au

time7 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Israel poised to order new Gaza war plan

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared Tuesday to unveil an updated Gaza war plan designed to destroy Hamas and secure the release of dozens of hostages, with Israeli media reporting he would order the total occupation of the Palestinian territory. Netanyahu was expected to meet security chiefs in Jerusalem to issue new orders, even as Israel's diplomats convened a UN Security Council meeting in New York to highlight the plight of Israelis held in Gaza. The timing of the security meeting has not been officially confirmed. Netanyahu said Monday that it would be "in the coming days". Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 said Netanyahu would meet the army chief of staff, and the defence and army ministers. Unnamed senior officials told Israeli media he intends to order the re-occupation of Gaza. "Netanyahu wants the Israeli army to conquer the entire Gaza Strip," said a report on public broadcaster Kan. "Several cabinet members who spoke with the prime minister confirmed that he has decided to extend the fight to areas where hostages might be held." The private daily Maariv declared: "The die is cast. We're en route for the total conquest of Gaza." While the reconquest plan has not been officially confirmed, it has already drawn an angry response from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza's Hamas-run government, which insisted it will not shift its position on ceasefire talks. "We want to reach an agreement that ends the war. The ball is now in the hands of Israel and the Americans, who support Israeli positions and delay the conclusion of an agreement," senior Hamas official Husam Badran told broadcaster Al Jazeera. - Desperate families - After 22 months of combat sparked by the October 7, 2023 cross-border attacks by Hamas that killed 1,219 people and saw hundreds kidnapped, the Israeli army has devastated large parts of the Palestinian territory. More than 60,933 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures from Hams-run Gaza's health ministry, and humanitarian agencies have warned that the territory's 2.4 million people are slipping into a catastrophic famine. But Netanyahu is under pressure on several fronts. Domestically, the desperate and vocal families of the 49 remaining hostages are demanding a ceasefire to bring their loved ones home. Around the world, humanitarians are pushing for a truce to allow in food to the starving, and several European capitals have announced plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, despite fierce US and Israeli opposition. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's far-right allies in his ruling coalition want to seize the opportunity of the war to reoccupy Gaza and tighten control of the occupied West Bank. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was in New York, where Israel's US ally was helping organise a Security Council meeting to focus world attention on the fate of the hostages rather than the looming famine -- which Israeli spokespeople insist is an exaggerated threat. The defence ministry civil affairs agency for the Palestinian territories, COGAT, said Tuesday that Israel will partially reopen private sector trade with Gaza to reduce its reliance on UN and aid agency convoys and international military airdrops. "As part of formulating the mechanism, a limited number of local merchants were approved by the defence establishment, subject to several criteria and strict security screening," COGAT said. Israel has been fighting Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza for 22 months and imposed a total blockade on March 2, partially lifted in May to allow a US-backed private agency to open food distribution centres. Aid convoys and airdrops by Arab and European militaries resumed last month, as UN-mandated expert reports warned famine was unfolding in the war-torn territory. The COGAT statement said private sector deliveries would be paid for by monitored bank transfers and be subject to inspections by the Israeli military before entering Gaza, "to prevent the involvement of the Hamas terrorist organisation." - Staple foods - Permitted goods under the new mechanism will include food staples, fruit, vegetables, baby formula and hygiene products, COGAT said. On Monday. Netanyahu insisted Israel's war goals remained "the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel". His statement came after hundreds of retired Israeli security chiefs wrote to US President Donald Trump to urge him to convince Netanyahu to end the war, arguing that Israel has already scored a military victory and should seek to negotiate the hostages' release. The families of the hostages are also horrified by talk of escalation, accusing the government of putting their relatives in renewed danger, even as Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad release propaganda videos showing emaciated captives.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store