Protesters say they are standing on the right side of justice and humanity, turning up in their thousands to demonstrate in favour of a free Palestine.
Thousands marched through the Sydney CBD on Saturday after police green-lit the event, and many more were set to attend events in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane as more information emerges from conflict-stricken Gaza.
Protesters at Sydney’s Town Hall chanted “down, down Israel” and “the siege of Gaza, shut it down” as police officers watched on.
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“Today, we have come to tell the world that we stand on the right side of justice,” campaigner Assala Sayara told the protest to loud cheers.
“We stand on the side of humanity.”
Sydney protest organiser Fahad Ali said more Australians – including frontbench politicians Ed Husic and Anne Aly – were recognising the gravity of the situation in Gaza.
Mr Ali said organisers had worked closely with police to make sure the event was successful.
“Last week, the premier of NSW was saying that there would never be another Palestine march in this state,” he said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We fought against that and we won, so today we’re looking forward to a really successful, really wonderful event.”
Marchers walked from Town Hall to Belmore Park.
Protester Vicky Tzioumis from Manly said attending was the least she could do.
“Israel is not playing by the rules. It’s shameful,” she told AAP.
Previous protests had been met with a heavy police presence after videos emerged of a small group chanting anti-Semitic slogans within a rally at the Sydney Opera House.
Rallies since have been relatively uneventful with organisers around the country clamping down on hateful comments to ensure the focus remains on their key message: free Palestine.
More pro-Palestine protests will take place in Melbourne and Adelaide on Sunday.
The prime minister has provided $25 million to Jewish and Islamic communities affected by the conflict, and while Mr Ali welcomed the move, he said the government needed to take immediate action to urge a ceasefire, and that humanitarian aid reaches civilians.
“We’re faced with a humanitarian crisis in Palestine – the scale of which we have never seen before,” he said.
“It cannot be the case that we wash our hands of responsibility, when we have played a part in creating the conditions that have led up to this.”
Refugee Council of Australia CEO Paul Power called on the government to work towards a peaceful resolution and to address the dire situation in Gaza.
Hamas conducted a cross-border attack on October 7 that killed more than 1400 people in Israel and led to more than 150 being taken hostage.
On Saturday morning, two hostages from the United States, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan, were released.
Israel retaliated to the initial attack by laying siege to the 2.3 million people living in Gaza and unleashing a bombing campaign that left more than 3500 dead, another 12,000 wounded and roughly one million displaced, according to Palestinian officials.
Civilians in Gaza have no power, water is scarce and the dwindling fuel sources used for emergency generators are running out.
More than 1650 Australians have left Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7 and commercial flights are available for others who wish to return home.
The foreign affairs department is in contact with registered Australians about departure options.
But the government has previously said there are 46 Australians in Gaza whose safety remains unknown.
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