Massive pro-Palestinian protests spread across Australia on Sunday, as the Gaza ceasefire entered its third day, with key next steps still to be agreed.
The Palestinian Action Group organized rallies in 27 towns and cities, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and the capital Canberra, to demand an end to the war.
According to CNN affiliate 9 News, up to 40,000 demonstrators were expected to take part in Sydney from 1pm, but a court ruling banned them from marching at the Sydney Opera House for public safety reasons.
Meanwhile, dozens of boats gathered in Sydney Harbor for what organizers called the Solidarity Convoy Against Anti-Semitism.
The nationwide protests follow the Palestinian Action Group’s Sydney Harbor Bridge march in August, which attracted around 100,000 participants.
In an Instagram post titled “Why we still must gather this Sunday,” the group said its call extends “beyond the immediate call to end the current stage of the genocide.”
The post called on the Australian government to “immediately impose sanctions on Israel to force a real, lasting and just peace for the Palestinian people” and to “hold all Israeli war criminals accountable”.
An independent United Nations investigation has concluded that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and that the country’s top leaders incited the genocide. The Israeli government staunchly denies the accusations of genocide, saying it is fighting the war in Gaza in self-defense and in accordance with international law.
