The fate of a pro-Palestine demonstration across an iconic Australian landmark hangs in the balance, with a court battle set to determine its fate.
Tens of thousands of people were expected to join the march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday opposing Israel's war on Gaza, before police confirmed they would not permit it and would take court action to categorise it as unlawful and unauthorised.
Plans for the rally follow harrowing images and accounts of severely malnourished civilians emerging from the war-torn Gaza Strip and mounting international pressure on Israel to allow in more humanitarian aid.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week said it was "beyond comprehension" that Israel had denied that people were starving in the occupied territory.
NSW Police confirmed they had filed a summons in the Supreme Court to challenge the Harbour Bridge protest, with the matter listed for 12.30pm on Friday.
NSW has a permit system that allows protest participants to block public roads and infrastructure but police can go to court to deny permission.
Organising group Palestine Action Group Sydney has vowed to rally regardless of the court outcome, ending a Facebook post with "whatever happens, see you on Sunday".
In 2024, police challenged protests coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on 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 action group had said more than 50,000 people were expected to attend Sunday's protest, although a miserable weather forecast with up to 15mm rain predicted might dampen that turnout.
An open letter signed by 55 entities, including protest and civil liberties groups, unions, social action bodies and political factions, has called on NSW Premier Chris Minns to reverse his opposition to the march.
The premier has said he "cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos".
"Seeking to shut down this rally would be a serious departure from the NSW state and police's responsibility to uphold the democratic right of protest," the letter read.
Some Labor MPs also criticised the premier's intervention, including Stephen Lawrence who as a barrister represented protest groups in similar court cases.
"I am concerned the premier has, in effect, made a purported decision himself to try and prevent this protest, that this will taint proper consideration of the matter by police and that violence may ensue as a consequence," Mr Lawrence posted on Facebook.
The number of Palestinians believed to have been killed during the war in Gaza tops 60,000, according to local health authorities, while dozens of people are reported to have died in recent days due to starvation.
Israel's military campaign began after Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation in Australia, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Sydney Harbour Bridge has previously been shut for separate demonstrations, including the march for reconciliation in 2000 which attracted more than 250,000 people and in 2023 for a film production.
