Latest news with #ProPalestine
The Guardian
17 hours 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.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Five Great Reads: the killing code, our AI future and a Sydney Sweeney culture war
Happy Saturday! Pro-Palestine protesters marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge nearly a week ago. It was a moment in history – the torrential rain and enormous crowd numbers – and our reporters covered it brilliantly and sensitively. Just like today's first read. With that, let's get on. A cipher hidden in a colonial settler's diaries from the 1850s has confirmed a confronting chapter of Australia's colonial past. It's in this impressive and compelling interactive from Guardian Australia – where our journalists and historians decode the truth of a dark history that Yamatji people already know all too well. The killing code: In his journals, Major Logue used a modified form of masonic code known as 'pigpen' to hide the killings of Aboriginal people. In part one of this series, readers can toggle the code to reveal the hidden atrocities he wrote of while he lived in Geraldton, Western Australia. 'Colonial silence': Now, the descendants of the victims of the massacres, and the descendants of the perpetrators of colonial violence, want to break the shame and silence. For a short time, before she became an Oscar-nominated writer-director, Celine Song worked as a matchmaker. Her clients would tell her things 'they would never admit to their therapist', but were painstakingly alike in their requests: tall, rich, great body and hair. Song wanted to make a film about the experience but realised the clients were boring. The most interesting part about the modern dating world, for her, was actually class and wealth. Past Lives: Song's debut film about loves lost and rekindled, also inspired by the director's love life, is a must-see (the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave it five stars). How long will it take to read: four minutes. When a cycling accident involving a lorry crushed Jim Ashworth-Beaumont's lungs and liver, and left him without a right arm, he thought he was going to die. When he survived the unimaginable, he became part of a radical trial for amputees. It just so happened that he was also an experienced clinician in prosthetics, making him the perfect guinea pig. 'You couldn't have made up a better candidate, but I wasn't going to tell him until I knew he would survive.' – Edmund Fitzgerald O'Connor, plastic surgeon. How long will it take to read: nine minutes. Sign up to Five Great Reads Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning after newsletter promotion If Demis Hassabis had his way, AI would have been 'left in the lab for longer'. As chief executive of Google's AI DeepMind, his team would have 'done more things like AlphaFold' – the AI tool predicting protein's 3D structure – or 'maybe cured cancer', he tells Steve Rose. Instead, the world is already getting a feel for AI. And while the unknowns remain large and ever gloomy, Hassabis is 'cautiously optimistic' that we can achieve radical abundance. What is 'radical abundance'? Hassabis believes the more productive AI can be to society, the more society can prosper. 'Of course, we've got to make sure it gets distributed fairly, but that's more of a political question,' he says. How long will it take to read: five and a half minutes. This one is for all the readers rubbing their heads as to why they saw a blond bombshell grace our front page more than once this week. Adrian Horton is on the case, as she expertly explains how the 27-year-old US actor Sydney Sweeney has started a culture war over recent viral ads. Hollywood up-and-comer: it involves jeans, boobs, voting Republican and money. Enjoy! How long will it take to read: three and a half minutes. Further reading: and then you must read Marina Hyde's take on the controversy – she thinks it's a showbiz masterclass. If you would like to receive these Five Great Reads to your email inbox every weekend, sign up here. And check out out the full list of our local and international newsletters.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Number of parades held in Glasgow revealed: here's how many
For the last year, 2024/25, there were 240 public processions across the city. The majority were held by loyalist protestant organisations, outnumbering all the others combined. For the 12 months, there were 153 from just three organisations. READ NEXT:Derelict landmark city centre Glasgow building sold to developer The Orange Order held the most with 118 parades, the Apprentice Boys of Derry held 25, and the Black Institute organised 10. There were five Irish republican marches and two held by Trade Unions. A council report stated there were 12 organised by Bands, one funeral and 67 categorised as Other. The total was lower than the year before when 264 were held, mostly due to the Orange Order holding more with 135 processions and the others remaining mostly the same. The decrease in processions was 9%. READ NEXT:Pro Palestine protester has 'draconian' city centre ban lifted Most of the processions were held in the Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward, with 105. There were 40 in Calton where a lot of Orange Order and Apprentice Boys of Derry parades start and end. Govan had 22 and Partick East/Kelvindale, where Kelvin Way and Kelvingrove Park is, had 16. A council report by Mairi Millar, director of legal and administration, stated: 'While the vast majority of processions pass without difficulty and in compliance with the requirements set out in the Code of Conduct, it is acknowledged that in a small number of cases there have been complaints and concerns regarding the conduct of participants or followers. 'It is also recognised that there are a number of challenges to the city posed by processions, which include disruption to public transport and traffic flow, particularly where the procession passes through the city centre, as well as disruption to businesses, retail and tourism.' The council said procedures are in place to deal with any issues before marches take place. The report added: 'In order to mitigate the impact of larger-scale processions as much as possible, multiagency meetings are held to review the procession management plan, stewarding plan and arrangements for assembly and dispersal. 'A debrief meeting may be held after the procession to review the management of the procession and compliance with the Policy and Code of Conduct, with any learning points identified for future similar processions. 'Where issues have been identified with regard to the proposed route or timing of a procession, agreement on proposed changes are normally reached through negotiations and discussions led by the council's Processions Officer.'
News.com.au
04-08-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Panthers players spotted at Sydney Pro-Palestine protest
Penrith Panthers players Mitch Kenny and Izack Tago attended the Pro-Palestine march in Sydney on Sunday, a day after playing in an NRL victory. Tens of thousands of protesters marched across Sydney's Harbour Bridge in a massive demonstration that far exceeded the expected turn-out. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. About 90,000 people, including famous faces, braved the rain and descended on the iconic landmark with placards and flags in hand to call for an end to the war in Gaza after the Supreme Court rejected a last-minute application to block the protest on Saturday. Panthers hooker Kenny and centre Tago both played in Penrith's 30-26 win over the Gold Coast Titans at CBUS Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Saturday. The premiership-winning duo spent their Sunday at the rally in Sydney, organised by the Palestine Action Group, which was largely well-behaved despite police intervention over fears of a crowd rush. Tago and Kenny were spotted in the thick of things in the march and were happy to pose for photos with fans and give them a wave. Kenny wore a shirt that read 'Free Palestine', while Tago held a Palestine flag and wore a Palestine scarf around his head. As the march made its way across the city, Tago was spotted climbing part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge's steel structure. The Panthers declined to comment when contacted by The march was endorsed by hundreds of organisations and individuals, most notably: Amnesty International Australia, NSW Greens, Jewish Council of Australia, Arab Council Australia, Julian Assange, Bob Carr, Craig Foster and NSW Nurses and Midwives Association. In Sydney, thousands of protesters started crossing the bridge about 2pm on Sunday, chanting 'free, free Palestine' and waving placards. Some could also be heard chanting 'death, death to the IDF', a reference to the Israeli Defence Force. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore lent her support to the protesters saying: 'Discomfort from traffic can't be compared to what's happening in Gaza'. Jewish Council of Australia Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz backed the protest saying the marchers were 'crying out for moral leadership'. 'It is a time for all of us, including those in positions of power, to do everything they can to halt an active genocide and stand with the people of Gaza.' 'Almost catastrophic': Fears of crowd crush At about 3pm, NSW Police issued an urgent request for protesters to stop marching on safety fears, citing a possible 'crush' at the northern end of the bridge. 'Participants have been asked to stop proceeding across the bridge to avoid a crowd crush at the northern end of the harbour bridge,' the police said in what they called a 'protest safety intervention'. 'Once the procession has come to a halt, protesters will be asked to turn around and walk back toward Wynyard to avoid a risk of injury due to the huge number of people taking part. 'Police believe the safest route back is to walk back across the bridge given the huge numbers to avoid overwhelming the public transport system and a potential crowd crush scenario.' The crowd started dispersing from the bridge about 3.30pm and traffic started crossing the bridge about 4.30pm. Penrith cop mega punishment for trainer act Penrith's win over the Titans kept their dream of winning a fifth consecutive NRL premiership alive, with the victory putting them just one point behind the fourth placed Warriors on the ladder. The Panthers were fined $50,000 and trainer Corey Bocking banned for five matches after he interfered with a Titans conversion attempt on the weekend. The NRL confirmed the stunning penalty on Monday which came as a result of 'previous breaches by Penrith Panthers trainers'. Bocking who ran directly across the path of Titans kicker Jayden Campbell, who was attempting a conversion in last weekend' match. Campbell had to furiously compose himself and ultimately missed the conversion before Nathan Cleary sent the game into extra time with a long-range field goal. The Panthers won the match thanks to a Blaize Talagi golden point try which cost the Titans two crucial points in their bid to avoid the wooden spoon.
Daily Mail
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment the Australian flag is set on fire during protest in support of Palestine
Pro-Palestine protesters burned the Australian flag during a rally in Melbourne 's CBD. After burning the flag, the protesters covered their faces, sprayed 'Abolish Australia' onto the pavement, and held up posters reading 'Death to IDF.' Premier Jacinta Allan described the actions as deplorable. 'It's deplorable - it's a deplorable action,' she told the Today show. 'Police moved quickly and dealt with the incident here in Melbourne yesterday. 'The protest was peaceful, there were no arrests, and Victoria Police did a tremendous job in keeping our community safe.' The Melbourne rally was one of several held across the country, with more than 100,000 people braving the rain to attend a pro-Palestine protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Dubbed the 'March for Humanity' by organisers, the event aimed to highlight what the United Nations has described as a 'worst-case scenario.' In Sydney the protest on the Harbour Bridge was marred by a small minority chanting antisemitic slogans and carrying inflammatory posters. Among the crowd, a large portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, shown holding a rifle, was prominently displayed. Khamenei, who has ruled Iran for more than three decades, is widely regarded as a despot who has brutally repressed women's rights and ordered the mass killings of pro-democracy activists. Other protesters held signs depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler-style moustache and the word 'terrorist' beneath. Another protester also tried to turn the event into a protest against colonialism. Queers for Palestine also joined the protest, holding a sign that read, 'Penny Wong kills lesbians in Gaza'. Other demonstrators used the rally to take aim at Australia as well. One carried a sign saying, 'Abolish Israel, abolish Australia – Land back.' Another protester also tried to turn the event into a protest against colonialism. 'Don't go on the Sydney Harbour with Australian nationalistic fervour. Nationalistic pride is genocidal. Go on the Sydney Harbour because it's a symbol of colonialism that needs to be torn down. 'Too many are in love with their Australinanness, but we should be challenging the national culture, not reinforcing or appealing it,' they said. Another supporter was seen wearing a jumper emblazoned with the slogan 'Death to the IDF', directly targeting Israel's military, while another carried a sign declaring 'Zionists are Neo-Nazis'. Another demonstrator showed his support for Dr Abbasi, an Iranian scientist who openly supported Iran's nuclear program and was killed in Israeli strikes in June. Many black and white Islamic flags - often used by Islamist groups to symbolise jihad and Islamic unity - were also seen on the bridge. Chants of 'Long live Intifada' – a phrase commonly associated with violent uprisings against Israel – as well as 'Death to Netanyahu' also echoed across the bridge. 'Whether they realise it or not, they're endorsing the same terror that targets Jews, Israel, and the West,' one critic said. Earlier in the week, NSW Police admitted they could not ensure a safe environment for the rally and sought a prohibition order from the courts. But on Saturday, Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected the request, ruling that the inconvenience to residents and commuters did not outweigh the right to peaceful assembly. 'It is in the nature of peaceful protests to cause disruption to others,' she said. Legal expert Patrick Schmidt warned the decision could pave the way for more protests on the bridge. 'The police or government can't stop a lawful peaceful protest, the issue is the scale of it,' Mr Schmidt told the Daily Telegraph. 'The major issue is the logistics of it all – as opposed to the legality. 'It's a public safety issue – it's not so much about the convenience – it's getting enough boots on the ground. 'The significance of using the Harbour Bridge is it will get picked up by world media. 'If it happened every weekend how would you get the public attention to it. It would lose a lot of vigour.' Israel's military campaign began after militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 251 hostages. The ensuing retaliatory bombardment and blockade of Gaza have killed more than 60,000 people, according to the health authorities. Gaza's population of 2.1 million people is projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, including one million people who face emergency levels, according to the United Nations. The federal government on Monday announced an additional $20 million to support aid organisations in delivering food, medical supplies and other lifesaving support in Gaza.
