“One has to be blind not to see that Israel has completely lost the majority of the world—including in the West.”

Sydney Harbour Bridge was filled with protesters in Australia’s most populous city on Sunday in demonstration against the ongoing genocide being carried out by Israel and its international backers in  Gaza.

Footage being shared widely online showed throngs of people unbowed by the rain crossing the iconic bridge in a flood of umbrellas and ponchos, many carrying signs that said, “Feed Gaza!”; “Let Aid In”; and “Stop Genocide!”

Solidarity actions for the people of Gaza — organised under the banner of “March for Humanity – Save Gaza” — were also held in Melbourne and other cities, but the crowds were largest in Sydney.

“It’s even bigger than my wildest dreams,” Josh Lees, one of the the key organisers of the protest, told Guardian Australia while walking near the head of the march. “It’s a mass march for humanity to stop a genocide, our politicians have to now listen to the will of the people and sanction Israel.”

Observers said the scale of the demonstration shows that international support for Israel’s attack on Gaza, even among countries that have long been allies, is fracturing in the face of the undeniable evidence that atrocities are taking place against the Palestinian people on a daily basis and in a co-ordinated manner.

“One has to be blind not to see that Israel has completely lost the majority of the world – including in the West,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice-president at the US-based Quincy Institute, pointing to footage of the protest. “No level of intimidation, surveillance or threats can force the majority of humanity to support and defend apartheid and genocide.”

As the crowd approached a police line near the bridge,  reported The Age newspaper, rally organiser Mohammad Sharab called on protesters to “prove to the world that this is not a movement that will clash with police” and asked people to stay back from the police or sit down peacefully in protest.

“They are holding their guns, their weapons, against people who are protesting peacefully,” he said of the officers. “Shame on Victoria Police, shame.”

Sharab said the protests were about peace and humanity and he criticised the media personalities and Australian politicians for characterising as “extremists” those calling for a ceasefire and an end to the policy of starvation in Gaza.

“We stand for justice,” said Sharab. “We are not ashamed of it. For those who call us extremist and antisemitic for standing against genocide, these extreme comments make you the extremist. That’s my message to [Premier] Jacinta Allan.”

Republished from Comm0n Dreams, 3 August 2025

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.