Latest news with #JusticeforPalestine
West Australian
4 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
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. The Story Bridge itself has handled crowds of up to 74,000, spread across four sessions, during its 75th birthday celebrations.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘People power': Push to shut major bridge
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. Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters flooded the Sydney Harbour Bridge during a historic march on August 3. NewsWire / Brendan Read Credit: News Corp Australia 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 upcoming march aims to raise awareness and demand action against the conflict in Palestine. NewsWire / Brendan Read Credit: News Corp Australia 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. The Story Bridge itself has handled crowds of up to 74,000, spread across four sessions, during its 75th birthday celebrations.
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Pro-Palestinian protestors head for Brisbane's Story Bridge Queensland Police mull permission
Pro-Palestine protesters are planning to shut down another major Australian bridge as rallies on August 24 are scheduled across the nation. 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 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.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Pro-Palestine protest planned for another Australian city
Pro-Palestine rally planned to shut down bridge on August 24. A pro-Palestinian group has applied to shut down Brisbane's Story Bridge for a large-scale protest planned for Sunday, August 24, mirroring the massive rally held recently on Sydney Harbour Bridge. Organisers from Justice for Palestine estimate that about 7000 people will march from Raymond Park to Centenary Place, spanning 1.5 kilometres. Queensland Police will decide whether to approve the event. A police spokesperson confirmed receiving the application and said it is under assessment, emphasising that 'the QPS recognises that every person has the right to peacefully assemble under the Human Rights Act and Peaceful Assembly Act.' While, Brisbane City Council opposes the protest. Premier David Crisafulli said the decision rests with police and stressed the importance of community safety. 'Shutting down a city is no way to endear Queenslanders to your cause,' he said. Justice For Palestine spokesman Omar Ashour pointed to the Sydney march turnout and rising attendance at Brisbane events to predict strong participation at the Story Bridge march. 'The Harbour Bridge rally last Sunday changed the tone in the media and in government,' Mr Ashour said. 'They realise they have underestimated the feeling in the community both here and overseas. It's only words so far, but the words from the government are starting to change. This is all a reflection of the genuine sentiment in the street,' he said. People, including Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Craig Foster, march across the Harbour Bridge during a pro-Palestinian rally on August 03. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images Mr Ashour added that speakers, including current or former politicians, will address attendees at the end of the march. He acknowledged the march could take several hours to reach the CBD, likely causing significant traffic disruptions on the Story Bridge, a key link between Brisbane's north and south. Harbour Bridge during a pro-Palestinian rally. Credit: Izhar Khan / Getty Images Protesters in Sydney and Melbourne joined marches and actions globally, as pressure mounts on the Israeli government over a devastating humanitarian crisis. Credit: Izhar Khan / Getty Images Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg expressed concern the protest would exacerbate violence and anti-Semitism toward the Jewish community. 'It's not a great environment for Jews in Queensland or Australia at the moment and that's very sad,' he said. Mr Steinberg condemned the Sydney march as 'abhorrent' for its protesters displaying banners of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah symbols, and chanting slogans perceived as calls to expel Israelis from their land. Historically, Brisbane's largest protest was against the Iraq War in 2003, drawing around 100,000 people. The Story Bridge has previously managed large crowds, including 74,000 attendees during its 75th birthday celebration, spread out over several hours. The recent Sydney protest saw an estimated 90,000 participants, surpassing earlier expectations of 50,000.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Justice for Palestine plans 7000-person march on Brisbane's Story Bridge amid community concerns
A pro-Palestinian group has applied to shut down Brisbane's Story Bridge for a large-scale protest planned for Sunday, August 24, mirroring the massive rally held recently on Sydney Harbour Bridge. Organisers from Justice for Palestine estimate that about 7000 people will march from Raymond Park to Centenary Place, spanning 1.5 kilometres. Queensland Police will decide whether to approve the event. A police spokesperson confirmed receiving the application and said it is under assessment, emphasising that 'the QPS recognises that every person has the right to peacefully assemble under the Human Rights Act and Peaceful Assembly Act.' While, Brisbane City Council opposes the protest. Premier David Crisafulli said the decision rests with police and stressed the importance of community safety. 'Shutting down a city is no way to endear Queenslanders to your cause,' he said. Justice For Palestine spokesman Omar Ashour pointed to the Sydney march turnout and rising attendance at Brisbane events to predict strong participation at the Story Bridge march. 'The Harbour Bridge rally last Sunday changed the tone in the media and in government,' Mr Ashour said. 'They realise they have underestimated the feeling in the community both here and overseas. It's only words so far, but the words from the government are starting to change. This is all a reflection of the genuine sentiment in the street,' he said. Mr Ashour added that speakers, including current or former politicians, will address attendees at the end of the march. He acknowledged the march could take several hours to reach the CBD, likely causing significant traffic disruptions on the Story Bridge, a key link between Brisbane's north and south. Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg expressed concern the protest would exacerbate violence and anti-Semitism toward the Jewish community. 'It's not a great environment for Jews in Queensland or Australia at the moment and that's very sad,' he said. Mr Steinberg condemned the Sydney march as 'abhorrent' for its protesters displaying banners of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah symbols, and chanting slogans perceived as calls to expel Israelis from their land. Historically, Brisbane's largest protest was against the Iraq War in 2003, drawing around 100,000 people. The Story Bridge has previously managed large crowds, including 74,000 attendees during its 75th birthday celebration, spread out over several hours. The recent Sydney protest saw an estimated 90,000 participants, surpassing earlier expectations of 50,000.
