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Daily Telegraph
13-08-2025
- 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
12-08-2025
- 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.
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Massive planned protest across Brisbane's Story Bridge during peak hour derailed after court blocks demonstration
A planned protest which would have shut down all six lanes of Brisbane's Story Bridge during peak hour has been blocked by a court, after police claimed there were major safety concerns and the risk of massive public disruption. The demonstration, scheduled for 8am Friday, was organised by active transport advocates pushing for one vehicle lane to be dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians. But police asked Brisbane Magistrates Court to stop the process due to the risk of safety concerns if the protest were to go ahead. The court sided with the police, finding the demonstration could delay emergency services, interfere with public transport, and compromise safety. While protesters won't be allowed to occupy the bridge at the intended time, organisers say they remain committed to pressuring Brisbane City Council to prioritise active transport access amid ongoing footpath closures. The footpaths on the Story Bridge have been shut since March after inspections uncovered structural issues, including concrete degradation and rusted reinforcements. The council has pledged to reopen the paths once urgent safety works are completed, ahead of a broader restoration project expected to take up to 15 years. An independent committee recently warned that, without a full restoration, the 85-year-old bridge could be unable to carry traffic within two decades. The long-term fix is forecast to be beyond council's financial capacity, prompting discussions around federal funding, tolls, or special levies to foot the bill. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said earlier this week that local infrastructure remains the responsibility of local governments, pushing back on suggestions the Commonwealth should shoulder the restoration costs. However, the federal government has contributed $2.25 million toward a joint business case exploring long-term options for the bridge. Despite the legal setback, protest organiser Kathryn Good said her group would continue advocating for safer and more accessible transport options across the bridge.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Court blocks planned protest for Brisbane's Story Bridge
A court has blocked a planned peak hour protest to shut down Brisbane's Story Bridge. Organisers had planned to blockade all six lanes from 8am on Friday, calling for the Brisbane City Council to dedicate one lane to cyclists and pedestrians. In his ruling, the magistrate said the protest would "compromise people's safety". "The balance here is the people who will be disrupted coming into town to work, the other issue is safety," the magistrate said. He said he agreed with Queensland Police Service's (QPS) decision to refuse the protest. The protesters were ordered to remove the event from social media and all public signage related to it. Acting Senior Sergeant Donna Kay told the court the protest would delay emergency services from accessing critical health care facilities and disrupt 115 programmed bus services, each one carrying about 90 passengers. Sergeant Kay said prior disruptions of this kind had flow-on effects, shutting down the CBD and major road corridors for two hours afterwards. She said the protesters' right to peaceful assembly was "outweighed" by the right for members of the public to continue their business free from disruption. "The protests are not being stopped, they're just being asked to conduct it in a safe manner. Footpaths on the Story Bridge footpaths have been closed since March following an assessment after Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and the council has not provided a timeline of when they will re-open. Protest organiser Kathryn Good said she was saddened by the ruling but would consider other avenues to call for action. "It's disappointing, it's not the outcomes we were hoping for and it's not the outcome we were seeking from the court," Ms Good said. "We won't be giving up the fight to put pressure on council to open up that lane for active transport."
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
‘Extinction Rebellion on wheels' threatens to shut down Brisbane's Story Bridge over missing bike lane
One of Brisbane's busiest bridges could be shut down by protesters during peak-hour traffic to demand a lane be allocated for bikes. Members of Space for Cycling Brisbane and its supporters plan to march across all six lanes of the Story Bridge between 8am and 9am on Friday. The protest, calling for one of the lanes to be altered to a bike, scooter and pedestrian only travelway, comes following the closures of the footpaths on either side of the bridge in March ahead of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. A structural assessment was later carried out by engineers, who found water to be leaking through the concrete. According to organisers of the protest, there has been 'no time frame' given to the public on the reopening of the footpaths nor an appropriate alternate detour made available. 'There are thousands of people who use the Story Bridge daily who have had their commutes and travel impacted for well over two months now,' a message from the organisers read. 'It is now clear that the footpaths over the bridge are unsafe to travel on, however more frustrating than the closure is the lack of communication from the council and the lack of a suitable detour. 'Council has multiple times published suggested detours that aren't possible.' A detour is in place for cyclists and pedestrians using the new Kangaroo Point Bridge, while CityCat and KittyKat services also link Kangaroo Point to the city and Howard Smith Wharves. The move has been slammed by Brisbane City councillor Andrew Wines, after the group was coined 'Extinction Rebellion on wheels' by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner during a council meeting on Tuesday. 'Brisbane commuters need to be aware of a dangerous and disruptive protest that will shut down traffic on the Story Bridge during peak hour on Friday morning,' Mr Wines said in a statement. 'The cycling activists, who are taking a leaf out of the Extinction Rebellion playbook, plan to proceed with their illegal protest at 8am on Friday despite concerns raised by Queensland Police and Brisbane City Council. 'They plan to hold Brisbane commuters to ransom and cause chaos, just like Extinction Rebellion did a few years ago. 'The protesters are trying to force the closure of a lane of Story Bridge to traffic so it can be used by cyclists and pedestrians while work is underway to repair the bridge footpaths. 'However, the chaos this protest will cause will just prove the point that it's simply not practical to close traffic lanes on the Story Bridge for the benefit of cyclists.' Mr Wines said expert analysis by council found two lanes of the bridge would need to be closed to safely allow cyclists and pedestrians to cross – causing 'daily traffic chaos' not just on the Story Bridge but across the city's road network. He added: 'We're working to ensure the footpaths are reopened within months.' Queensland Police are set to make a last-minute bid to stop the demonstrators from marching and will appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday. The court application was lodged after talks reportedly broke down between the two parties. 'Police and Brisbane City Council attempted to engage with the protest organiser in relation to suitable protest plans, however mediation was not successful,' the spokesperson told ABC News. 'Under provisions of the Peaceful Assembly Act, police will lodge documentation with Brisbane Magistrates Court for a decision to be made with respect to the Notice of Intention to Hold a Public Assembly.' Protest organiser Kathryn Good said the protest would not go ahead if the court ruled it to be illegal. 'Brisbane City Council have accused us of holding an illegal protest,' she wrote to supporters on Tuesday. 'This is not only factually untrue, but an absolutely outrageous statement to make.' She confirmed the organisers has submitted a Notice of Intention and informed Brisbane City Council ahead of time. 'The organisers including myself have engaged in good faith with QPS and BCC,' Ms Good added. 'We are aware that they are seeking a court order to prevent the process and we have every intention of complying with any court orders made.' Ms Good said the protest had no affiliation with Extinction Rebellion, or any other political party or group. More than 100 people are expected to march.
