Tens of thousands of people braved heavy rain on Sunday to walk across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge in one of Australia’s largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations to date. New South Wales Police estimated the turnout at up to 90,000, while organisers from the Palestine Action Group Sydney claimed as many as 300,000 participants. Traffic on the landmark bridge was halted for several hours as marchers, some banging pots and pans to symbolise hunger in Gaza, called for increased humanitarian aid and a cease-fire. The rally – dubbed the “March for Humanity” – urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government to intensify pressure on Israel amid warnings from aid agencies of widespread starvation in the enclave, where Palestinian officials say more than 60,000 people have been killed since the war began in 2023. The protest followed recent moves by France and Canada to recognise a Palestinian state and mounting international criticism of Israel’s blockade. The state’s Supreme Court cleared the way for the event late Saturday after police and state officials sought to block it on safety and transport grounds. More than 1,000 officers were deployed, and Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Peter McKenna said the unexpectedly large crowd created a “perilous” crush risk, although no injuries were reported. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and New South Wales Minister Jihad Dib were among those who joined the march. A parallel protest was held in Melbourne, underscoring growing public pressure on Canberra to adopt a more assertive stance. Albanese has reiterated support for a two-state solution but has stopped short of recognising Palestinian statehood; his government has yet to signal any policy shift following Sunday’s mass mobilisation.