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Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters are expected to block the King Street Bridge in central Melbourne on Sunday to protest Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Palestine.
A simultaneous protest will close the Sydney Harbour Bridge, after NSW Police’s prohibition order application in the Supreme Court was denied on Saturday.
A pro-Palestine protester wearing a keffiyeh in Melbourne last month. Credit: Chris Hopkins
The major protest will begin at the State Library at midday, before the march travels down Swanston Street and onto Flinders Street, before reaching the King Street Bridge by 2.30pm.
The King Street Bridge crosses the Yarra River and is one of the main thoroughfares connecting the Melbourne CBD with the city’s southern suburbs.
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A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said they repeatedly engaged with Melbourne protest organisers to convince them not to gather on the King Street Bridge, but rally plans had not changed.
She said officers would have a “visible presence” in the city on Sunday, with additional police brought in from outside metropolitan Melbourne.
“While we always respect the right for people to protest peacefully, we are clear that this should be done without impacting the broader community,” the spokeswoman said
“We have a number of resources prepared to respond and our priority will be to keep the peace and ensure the safety of the community.”
Organisers from the Free Palestine Coalition said the decision by Victoria Police to bring in hundreds of additional officers was a “huge waste of resources” for a peaceful protest.
Protesters are expected to bang pots and pans during the rally, in a nod to mounting concerns about mass starvation in Gaza. Speakers include former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam and protest organiser Tasnim Sammak.
“Gaza is suffering from an ongoing forced man-made famine and ongoing bombing of civilians,” the Free Palestine Coalition said.
“This is exactly why organisers are holding the protest to King Street Bridge ... to let the good people of the City of Melbourne know that there are atrocities happening in Gaza, and that we as a community have an opportunity to change the status quo, and bring about change.”
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Speaking at the state Labor conference on Saturday, Premier Jacinta Allan warned protesters there would be consequences for anyone causing chaos in the CBD.
“Anyone intending to disrupt emergency services or everyday Victorians going about their Sunday safely, anyone who intends to disrupt that will be dealt with swiftly by Victoria Police,” Allan said.
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