NSW police have said they will seek to block a planned pro-Palestinian protest across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as organisers Palestine Action Group say they will fight for the march to go ahead.
NSW Police acting commissioner Peter McKenna confirmed the force had decided not to allow the protest and would apply to the Supreme Court to categorise it as unlawful and unauthorised.
"The main rationale behind that is quite clearly public safety," he told reporters on Tuesday.
Closing the bridge would cause major disruption for thousands of drivers and emergency services, McKenna said.
"We do not get into the politics of it, we get into the public safety of it," he said.
Sydney's lord mayor said using the Sydney Harbour Bridge would be an "incredibly powerful symbol," as the NSW premier said he's asking organisers to plan for an alternate route.
In a statement on Tuesday, lord mayor Clover Moore said it would be an "incredibly powerful symbol" for the city's "most iconic landmark to be the site of a demonstration against starvation in Gaza and in favour of lasting peace" — although this weekend's planned protest should be at a "suitable alternative location", she said.
Several Greens NSW MPs have expressed support while Premier Chris Minns has said his government cannot support a protest of this scale on Sunday, as part of a demonstration against starvation in Gaza.
The Palestine Action Group announced its plans in a social media post, saying the "extraordinary situation" led them to call for a "march for humanity" over the bridge to "save Gaza". It said it has lodged a form notifying NSW Police of its intentions.
"We call on everyone, every individual and every organisation, who cannot bear to do nothing in the face of this atrocity, to join with us," the group said.
"As Australia’s most iconic symbol, a mass march across the Harbour Bridge will send a powerful message to the world, to Gaza, to Israel, and to our own government, that we are determined to stand up for humanity."
The World Health Organization and a raft of aid groups have warned of the consequences of mass starvation in the besieged territory. Facing growing international criticism, Israel announced it would open secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine and allowed air drops of aid.
Israel has denied reports of widespread starvation in Gaza — claims Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelled as "beyond comprehension" on Tuesday.
'Common sense has to play a role'
In a statement on Monday, Minns said: "The NSW government cannot support a protest of this scale and nature taking place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, especially with one week’s notice."
"The bridge is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in our city — used every day by thousands of people. Unplanned disruption risks not only significant inconvenience, but real public safety concerns," he said. "We cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos."
Speaking to ABC radio on Tuesday morning, Minns said he accepted the reason for the protest, but that "common sense has to play a role".
Responding to Sunday's planned protest, NSW Premier Chris Minns said he "cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos". Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
"I'm not questioning the motives of many of the protesters. I accept that this is a protest that many people want to have.
"My argument here is I can't close down the central artery for a city as big as Sydney — even on a short-term basis, but even if we had a massive heads up to do it."
In response to Minns' statement on Monday, Palestine Action Group organisers asked whether the premier would agree to support the march a week later.
When asked on Tuesday whether such a delay would be enough, Minns said: "I wouldn't do it for any circumstances".
"I think you have to appreciate that there are — and have been — major community protests in relation to this issue in New York City, for example. That's completely understandable, and it occurs on a weekly basis, like it does here in Sydney," he said.
"But they don't close down the Brooklyn Bridge to traffic for that to happen. It would be a similar situation here in NSW."
Minns said he is asking organisers to work with NSW Police on an alternative route.
He added: "To shut it down in these circumstances would be beyond the resources of the NSW government."
Moore said: "The government should work to find a suitable alternate location for this week’s protests, and if the community sentiment is significant enough to warrant the use of the bridge the government should work with organisers to plan for its use."
A 'special call'
Josh Lees, spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, told SBS News on Monday the group was making a "special call" to respond to an "unprecedented and urgent horrific situation in Gaza".
"This is a moment where the international community, all of us around the world, need to take unprecedented steps to stop this genocide in Gaza," Lees said.
In a first for Israeli NGOs, rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel overnight said they had concluded the war in Gaza amounts to a "genocide" against Palestinians. Both organisations are frequent critics of Israeli government policies, but the language in their reports was their most stark yet.
A spokesperson from the Israeli prime minister's office denounced the allegation, adding to its previous denials of genocide claims.
The Israeli government, backed by the United States, fiercely denies the charge and says it is fighting to defeat Hamas — the political and military group that rules Gaza — and to bring back Israeli hostages still held there.
The Palestine Action Group previously said the Harbour Bridge had been closed in 2023 for a special march to mark World Pride, and for several hours to shoot a Ryan Gosling film.
Minns said on Tuesday that the few times this has happened over the last decade have required "months and months and months" of preparation, and communication with the public.
Lees urged the premier to "change course", adding: "We will see how we go from here."
'Defining humanitarian issue of our time'
Several Greens MPs have also written to the police minister and police commissioner, saying the protest over the bridge must go ahead.
"We respectfully ask you to assist the community to enable this important expression of political communication to occur," they wrote.
"Under no circumstances should NSW Police challenge this protest in the courts, as they have done previously."
The letter goes on to say: "This is the defining humanitarian issue of our time and leaders across NSW will be remembered for their actions in this moment."
NSW Police confirmed it had received the required paperwork for Sunday's planned protest. Senior officers would consult relevant stakeholders, including protest organisers, about other routes that could be taken, a spokesperson said.
NSW has a permit system that allows protest participants to block public roads and infrastructure, but police can go to court to deny permission.
Last year, the force challenged protests coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, citing public safety concerns. But the court bid was dropped when organisers scrapped one protest and shifted the route of another so it did not pass Sydney's Great Synagogue.
The NSW government has since passed controversial laws granting police powers to restrict protests near places of worship.
With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
