Latest news with #JusticeForPalestine
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
Group's warning over pro-Palestine rally
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. A pro-Palestinian group has said it is willing to work with police over its concerns to public safety relating to a massive rally planned for Brisbane's iconic Story Bridge. Justice for Palestine announced on social media last week that it will take part in a 'nationwide march' on Sunday August 24 to protest against the 22-month long war in Gaza. Israel continues to face rising condemnation over its actions in the deadly conflict, including the deaths of five Al Jazeera journalists who were killed in a targeted strike this week. The rally is set to begin from 1pm, with demonstrators to start from Raymond Park, walking over the Story Bridge and ending at Centenary Place, which is about two kilometres. 'We are taking this protest to the Story Bridge to reflect the urgency of the situation in Gaza. This is the same bridge our Lord Mayor refused to light in the colours of the Palestinian flag, denying solidarity to a grieving community,' Justice for Palestine wrote in an online post. 'This protest is a reminder that we might be the ones spared the bombs, but we are not spared the responsibility.' A pro-Palestine group is planning to march across Brisbane's Story Bridge as part of a nationwide rally on August 24. Picture Lachie Millard/News Corp Speaking to one of the group's organisers Omar Ashour said the event is about 'making space for a large number of Australians to express their feelings of solidarity' and to put pressure on the Albanese government to end the 'genocide' and starvation in Gaza. But Queensland Police has flagged safety concerns about the rally where the organisers expect at least 7,000 people to attend. A police spokeswoman said the 'initial proposed assembly route' has not been authorised as it could cause 'significant disruption to the rights and freedoms of other members of the community'. 'However, the Service is committed to working with organisers to identify an alternatw route that minimises the risk to public safety and disruption to the community,' she told 'The QPS respects the right to peacefully assemble; however, this must be balanced with the need to ensure public safety and minimise disruption to the broader community.' Senior police have initiated the mediation process with the pro-Palestine group. Mr Ashour said the group had received a response from police but he claimed it failed to detail the risks involved with the march. He insisted organisers had 'made it very clear' they are willing to work with authorities and try to understand any of their safety concerns to ensure the August 24 event goes ahead. Asked if Justice for Palestine would consider changing the location of the march, Mr Ashour said the plan was to always walk across Story Bridge. 'We don't understand what kind of safety risks they are worried about... we will be reasonable, but this is where people expect to cross. It has significance in Brisbane and the people who will be protesting are from Brisbane,' he told He flagged the landmark in the CBD has been previously closed for other events and protests. 'We will listen to the police concerns when they share it with us. And we will try to accommodate any reasonable requests for safety... at the moment we don't see any merit with the limited information provided by police,' Mr Ashour added. The group is still waiting for the event to be given the go-ahead by police, but if its denied Mr Ashour insisted to the Courier Mail that they will appeal the decision in court. Tens of thousands of people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this month. Picture: Saeed KHAN / AFP It is understood other marches will happen simultaneously in most major capital cities around the country, as well as in towns. It comes after this month's huge rally over the Sydney Harbour Bridge which saw what organisers say 300,000 people march to send a 'powerful message' about the Gaza conflict. New South Wales Police had made an application in the Supreme Court to stop the demonstration, flagging fears of 'significant risk' to public safety for the August 3 event. Justice Beling Rigg gave the green light to march hours before it started saying the concerns of police were 'well founded' but Palestine Action Group had given 'compelling' reasons as to why it had to go ahead, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Well-known figures such as Julian Assange, former foreign minister Bob Carr and Labor MP Ed Husic walked side-by-side with every day people as they urged for immediate action. The shutting down of the world-famous Sydney landmark to allow tens of thousands of people to march across it made global headlines. Authorities had major concerns about the Sydney rally, which ultimately had to be abruptly cancelled due to crowd crush fears. Picture: NewsWire / Brendan Read Police monitor the march on live traffic cameras. Picture: NSW Police Stunning photos showed the Harbour Bridge filled with crowds as they held up signs that read 'free Palestine', 'ceasefire now' and 'not a war this is genocide'. However, there were some concerning images among the group including one rally-goer who wore a hooded jumper that read 'death to the IDF' and the jihadist flag, commonly used by terror groups, being waved in the air near families. The event was brought to an abrupt end two hours in after police sent out a geo text saying: 'In consultation with organisers, the march needs to stop due to public safety and await further instructions.' Tens of thousands of protesters were turned around at the northern end of the bridge. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner, Peter McKenna, later said it had to be cancelled due to fears of a crowd crush as authorities estimated 90,000 people had taken part. 'We could not allow those numbers to then egress into the northern side, into those train stations without, again, that real risk of crowd crush,' he told reporters. Albanese's big move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said Australia will move to recognise the state of Palestine as it is the only way to 'break the cycle of violence' in the Middle East and end the conflict, which has seen the total death toll from both sides soar past 60,000. On Tuesday morning he took another swipe at his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it is 'completely unacceptable' aid trucks had been stopped from entering the devastated enclave, leading to a rise in loss of life from hunger. 'I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people,' the Labor leader told the ABC. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly criticsed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza conflict. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Asked whether the government would slap sanctions on Israel or any of its officials or politicans if it refused to listen, Mr Albanese said that was unlikely. 'We're not going to stop diplomatic relations. That's completely counter-productive. We have diplomatic relations with a range of countries around the world that we have disagreements with,' he said. 'But you engage and we'll continue to do that. We need to look for real solutions with the international community and that's precisely what Australia is doing.' Australia will recognise a Palestinian State at the United Nations General Assembly in September, following its allies in the UK, Canada and France. Got story ideas? Email Originally published as Group begins negotiations with police over march across Brisbane's Story Bridge
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Group begins negotiations with police over march across Brisbane's Story Bridge
A pro-Palestinian group has flagged potential legal action as it fights to ensure their plans of a massive rally goes ahead on Brisbane's iconic Story Bridge amid concerns from police. Justice for Palestine announced on social media last week that it will take part in a 'nationwide march' on Sunday August 24 to protest against the 22-month long war in Gaza. Israel continues to face rising condemnation over its actions in the deadly conflict, including the deaths of five Al Jazeera journalists who were killed in a targeted strike this week. The rally is set to begin from 1pm, with demonstrators to start from Raymond Park, walking over the Story Bridge and ending at Centenary Place, which is about two kilometres. 'We are taking this protest to the Story Bridge to reflect the urgency of the situation in Gaza. This is the same bridge our Lord Mayor refused to light in the colours of the Palestinian flag, denying solidarity to a grieving community,' Justice for Palestine wrote in an online post. 'This protest is a reminder that we might be the ones spared the bombs, but we are not spared the responsibility.' Speaking to one of the group's organisers Omar Ashour said the event is about 'making space for a large number of Australians to express their feelings of solidarity' and to put pressure on the Albanese government to end the 'genocide' and starvation in Gaza. But Queensland Police has flagged safety concerns about the rally where the organisers expect at least 7,000 people to attend. A police spokeswoman said the 'initial proposed assembly route' has not been authorised as it could cause 'significant disruption to the rights and freedoms of other members of the community'. 'However, the Service is committed to working with organisers to identify an alternatw route that minimises the risk to public safety and disruption to the community,' she told 'The QPS respects the right to peacefully assemble; however, this must be balanced with the need to ensure public safety and minimise disruption to the broader community.' Senior police have initiated the mediation process with the pro-Palestine group. Mr Ashour said the group had received a response from police but he claimed it failed to detail the risks involved with the march. He insisted organisers had 'made it very clear' they are willing to work with authorities and try to understand any of their safety concerns to ensure the August 24 event goes ahead. Asked if Justice for Palestine would consider changing the location of the march, Mr Ashour said the plan was to always walk across Story Bridge. 'We don't understand what kind of safety risks they are worried about... we will be reasonable, but this is where people expect to cross. It has significance in Brisbane and the people who will be protesting are from Brisbane,' he told He flagged the landmark in the CBD has been previously closed for other events and protests. 'We will listen to the police concerns when they share it with us. And we will try to accommodate any reasonable requests for safety... at the moment we don't see any merit with the limited information provided by police,' Mr Ashour added. The group is still waiting for the event to be given the go-ahead by police, but if its denied Mr Ashour insisted to the Courier Mail that they will appeal the decision in court. It is understood other marches will happen simultaneously in most major capital cities around the country, as well as in towns. It comes after this month's huge rally over the Sydney Harbour Bridge which saw what organisers say 300,000 people march to send a 'powerful message' about the Gaza conflict. New South Wales Police had made an application in the Supreme Court to stop the demonstration, flagging fears of 'significant risk' to public safety for the August 3 event. Justice Beling Rigg gave the green light to march hours before it started saying the concerns of police were 'well founded' but Palestine Action Group had given 'compelling' reasons as to why it had to go ahead, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Well-known figures such as Julian Assange, former foreign minister Bob Carr and Labor MP Ed Husic walked side-by-side with every day people as they urged for immediate action. The shutting down of the world-famous Sydney landmark to allow tens of thousands of people to march across it made global headlines. Stunning photos showed the Harbour Bridge filled with crowds as they held up signs that read 'free Palestine', 'ceasefire now' and 'not a war this is genocide'. However, there were some concerning images among the group including one rally-goer who wore a hooded jumper that read 'death to the IDF' and the jihadist flag, commonly used by terror groups, being waved in the air near families. The event was brought to an abrupt end two hours in after police sent out a geo text saying: 'In consultation with organisers, the march needs to stop due to public safety and await further instructions.' Tens of thousands of protesters were turned around at the northern end of the bridge. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner, Peter McKenna, later said it had to be cancelled due to fears of a crowd crush as authorities estimated 90,000 people had taken part. 'We could not allow those numbers to then egress into the northern side, into those train stations without, again, that real risk of crowd crush,' he told reporters. Albanese's big move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said Australia will move to recognise the state of Palestine as it is the only way to 'break the cycle of violence' in the Middle East and end the conflict, which has seen the total death toll from both sides soar past 60,000. On Tuesday morning he took another swipe at his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it is 'completely unacceptable' aid trucks had been stopped from entering the devastated enclave, leading to a rise in loss of life from hunger. 'I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people,' the Labor leader told the ABC. Asked whether the government would slap sanctions on Israel or any of its officials or politicans if it refused to listen, Mr Albanese said that was unlikely. 'We're not going to stop diplomatic relations. That's completely counter-productive. We have diplomatic relations with a range of countries around the world that we have disagreements with,' he said. 'But you engage and we'll continue to do that. We need to look for real solutions with the international community and that's precisely what Australia is doing.' Australia will recognise a Palestinian State at the United Nations General Assembly in September, following its allies in the UK, Canada and France.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Why aren't pro-Palestine protesters allowed to march across Brisbane's Story Bridge?
Pro-Palestine protesters say they will challenge the Queensland police service in court after a planned march over Brisbane's Story Bridge was denied authorisation. The two parties entered mediation on Tuesday ahead of a planned 24 August rally at the bridge as part of nationwide protests to demand an end to what they, alongside UN experts and special rapporteurs, Israeli and international human rights groups and scholars of genocide, describe as the starvation and genocide of the people of Gaza. Organiser Remah Naji says she hopes that a third-party mediator will resolve police concerns about the Story Bridge march, but that protesters were 'willing to go ahead with a court case' should talks break down. Justice for Palestine Magan-djin (Brisbane) has been holding regular protests in the city for the last 22 months since the escalation of the conflict in Gaza after Israel responded to Hamas' attack on 7 October 2023 with a full-scale invasion, bombardment and blockade of aid in the Gaza Strip. Police and protesters have worked together to ensure the demonstrations have been lawful and peaceful, with organisers promoting a family friendly atmosphere. Sign up: AU Breaking News email But with Israel poised to launch a major operation to seize Gaza City, an ever mounting death toll of Palestinian civilians and international aid workers and reporters – including the killing of prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and four of his colleagues on Sunday – and continued widespread malnourishment of children, Naji says it is time for the Justice for Palestine movement to 'step up'. 'It is not enough for us to just take our protest to the city and do a loop and come back,' Naji says. 'No, we need to reflect the urgency of the situation. We need the whole city to understand that we are standing against this genocide and that we demand more from our government, that it uphold our obligation under international law as signatory to the Genocide Convention. 'What we're hoping to do is to make sure that this protest is visible and it is powerful and communicates the urgency of the situation in Gaza.' Police say they would not authorise the Story Bridge march 'due to public safety concerns and significant disruption to the rights and freedoms of other members of the community'. But, the QPS says it is 'committed to working with organisers to identify an alternate route' and to 'engaging with people from across our culturally diverse society'. 'The QPS respects the right to peacefully assemble; however, this must be balanced with the need to ensure public safety and minimise disruption to the broader community,' the QPS said in a statement. Police in New South Wales sought to deny legal protection to a planned protest over the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this month – but that bid was overturned by the NSW supreme court at the 11th hour. Police say 90,000 people marched across that iconic structure, organisers put the figure at closer to 300,000 – regardless, the scale of the turnout ranks the protest as historic and the day went ahead without major incidents. In Melbourne on the same day, in contrast, pro-Palestine protesters were met by a wall of police in riot gear behind barricades and backed by a row of mounted officers and riot squad vans when they sought to cross the King Street Bridge. Should mediation between QPS and protest organisers fail, the matter will be escalated to the Brisbane magistrates court.
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Pro-Palestine group threatens legal action over planned Story Bridge protest as Labor criticised over recognition of Palestinian state
Justice For Palestine is prepared to take legal action over a planned protest on Brisbane's Story Bridge as the Albanese government faces citicism of its decision to recognise a Palestinian state. Catch up with all of the day's breaking news and live interviews from politicians and experts with a Streaming Subscription.
News.com.au
08-08-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
City braces for potential road shutdown for pro-Palestinian rally
A pro-Palestinian group has formally applied to close Brisbane's Story Bridge for a mass rally, aiming to replicate last weekend's huge march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The plan would shut a major arterial road between Brisbane's north and south for hours, potentially causing significant traffic disruption. Justice for Palestine wants the Story Bridge shut for several hours on Sunday, August 24, so thousands of protesters can walk the 1.5km route from Raymond Park to Centenary Place. Organisers estimate at least 7000 people will take part, citing growing crowds at recent Brisbane events. In a recent newsletter, Justice for Palestine (Brisbane) called the Sydney rally a 'historic march for Palestine'. They said their planned August 24 march would be part of a 'national day of action', crossing the iconic bridge from Kangaroo Point to Fortitude Valley. 'This week, hundreds of students walked off university campuses in solidarity with Palestine, including UQ students and staff,' the letter read. 'We have the numbers to light up the bridge with the colours of liberation with people power instead. We need this to be a massive mobilisation for Palestine.' The letter also criticised Brisbane's Lord Mayor Adrien Schrinner for lighting the bridge in Israeli flag colours at the start of the conflict and refusing to show solidarity with Palestine. 'We will not be silent,' they said. Queensland Police confirmed that it had received the application and was assessing it. 'The QPS recognises that every person has the right to peacefully assemble under the Human Rights Act and Peaceful Assembly Act,' a spokesperson said. It is the second time this year a protest has been proposed for the Story Bridge. In May, Queensland Police blocked a demonstration over the closure of footpaths for maintenance. Premier David Crisafulli said the decision would be made independently by police. 'Police will assess the application independently based on community safety, but shutting down a city is no way to endear Queenslanders to your cause,' he said. The proposal has been met with strong opposition from the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, which warned it would heighten tensions. '(The Story Bridge) should not be hijacked for protests that promote or appear to support Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as we saw on the Sydney Harbour Bridge this past weekend,' a statement read. 'It would be far more constructive for them to focus on these humanitarian concerns than to use public infrastructure to promote divisive messages that bring shame on our city.' Organisers of the Sydney march initially had their application rejected by police, but the decision was overturned in court. They expected 50,000 people to attend on August 3, but police later estimated more than 90,000 took part. Queensland's largest protest on record remains the 2003 anti-Iraq War rally, which drew about 100,000 people into Brisbane's CBD.
