Pro-Palestine protesters say they will challenge the Queensland police service in court after a planned march over Brisbane’s Story Bridge was denied authorisation.
The two parties entered mediation on Tuesday ahead of a planned 24 August rally at the bridge as part of nationwide protests to demand an end to what they, alongside UN experts and special rapporteurs, Israeli and international human rights groups and scholars of genocide, describe as the starvation and genocide of the people of Gaza.
Organiser Remah Naji says she hopes that a third-party mediator will resolve police concerns about the Story Bridge march, but that protesters were “willing to go ahead with a court case” should talks break down.
Why are protesters planning to rally for Gaza at Story Bridge?
Justice for Palestine Magan-djin (Brisbane) has been holding regular protests in the city for the last 22 months since the escalation of the conflict in Gaza after Israel responded to Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023 with a full-scale invasion, bombardment and blockade of aid in the Gaza Strip.
Police and protesters have worked together to ensure the demonstrations have been lawful and peaceful, with organisers promoting a family friendly atmosphere.
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But with Israel poised to launch a major operation to seize Gaza City, an ever mounting death toll of Palestinian civilians and international aid workers and reporters – including the killing of prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and four of his colleagues on Sunday – and continued widespread malnourishment of children, Naji says it is time for the Justice for Palestine movement to “step up”.
“It is not enough for us to just take our protest to the city and do a loop and come back,” Naji says.
“No, we need to reflect the urgency of the situation. We need the whole city to understand that we are standing against this genocide and that we demand more from our government, that it uphold our obligation under international law as signatory to the Genocide Convention.
“What we’re hoping to do is to make sure that this protest is visible and it is powerful and communicates the urgency of the situation in Gaza.”
What have police said?
Police say they would not authorise the Story Bridge march “due to public safety concerns and significant disruption to the rights and freedoms of other members of the community”.
But, the QPS says it is “committed to working with organisers to identify an alternate route” and to “engaging with people from across our culturally diverse society”.
“The QPS respects the right to peacefully assemble; however, this must be balanced with the need to ensure public safety and minimise disruption to the broader community,” the QPS said in a statement.
How have police in other states responded to recent bridge protests?
Police in New South Wales sought to deny legal protection to a planned protest over the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this month – but that bid was overturned by the NSW supreme court at the 11th hour.
Police say 90,000 people marched across that iconic structure, organisers put the figure at closer to 300,000 – regardless, the scale of the turnout ranks the protest as historic and the day went ahead without major incidents.
In Melbourne on the same day, in contrast, pro-Palestine protesters were met by a wall of police in riot gear behind barricades and backed by a row of mounted officers and riot squad vans when they sought to cross the King Street Bridge.
What happens next?
Should mediation between QPS and protest organisers fail, the matter will be escalated to the Brisbane magistrates court.
