The original route for the pro-Palestine march on Sydney’s Harbour Bridge has been adjusted amid NSW Police’s concerns about the size of the crowds.
The initial plan for the protest, organised by Palestine Action Group, was to march north from the Wynyard end of the bridge then disperse after reaching North Sydney.
While protestors made it to the bridge — with Julian Assange seen carrying a banner at the front of the procession — they were reportedly given the option by police to double back and return across the bridge to avoid a potential crowd crush in North Sydney.
“Due to the risk of a potential crowd crush scenario at the train station, we will now provide the third option of allowing protesters to walk back across the Bridge and disperse in the CBD,” Operation commander Adam Johnson said in a statement, per The Guardian.
Johnson said the re-route will result in the protest continuing for “a longer period than originally planned”.
Following that statement, The Guardian reports that police have begun turning protestors back across the bridge.
Meanwhile, scores of Sydneysiders received a text message from NSW Police asking marchers to stop and await further instructions.
“In consultation with the organisers, the march needs to stop due to public safety and await further instructions,” the text message read.
A follow up message on social media saw NSW Police urge protestors to take the re-route back across the Harbour Bridge and “to stop walking north”.
“As soon as the march has stopped, we will look at turning everyone around back towards to city BUT it needs to be done in a controlled way in stages to keep everyone safe,” the message read.
It has been reported that a helicopter above the Harbour Bridge echoed the call to turn back through a loudspeaker.
It comes as police say estimates of the official size of the crowd are difficult to determine at this stage. Prior to the march, Palestine Action Group said it expected as many as 50,000 people to turn out.
Meanwhile, another pro-Palestine protest march in Melbourne has also had its original route adjusted by police.
That protest, organised by the Free Palestine Coalition, had intended to cross the King Street Bridge in the city’s CBD after gathering at the State Library and travelling from Swanston Street.
But protestors reaching the bridge were reportedly met with a police barricade that blocked entry onto the bridge.
While a large group reportedly doubled back along the route they originally came, some protestors have stayed at the entry of King Street Bridge as the busy CBD thoroughfare remains closed to traffic.
Earlier in the day, speakers at the Sydney event criticised NSW Premier Chris Minns for his previous attempt to block the march amid safety and traffic concerns.
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