ROX• TV | Tens of thousands march across Australia in support of Palestinians

Thousands of Australians rallied across the country, demanding an end to genocide in Gaza and sanctions against Israel for its atrocities in the Palestinian enclave, which is now facing Israel-induced starvation and famine.

The mass rallies come as relations between Israel and Australia have been strained following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state on August 11.

More than 40 protests took place across Australia on Sunday, Palestine Action Group said, including large turnouts in state capitals Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The group said some 350,000 people attended the rallies nationwide, including about 50,000 in Brisbane. But the police estimated that only 10,000 people turned up in Brisbane. They did not have estimates for crowd sizes in Sydney and Melbourne.

In Sydney, organiser Josh Lees said Australians were out in force to “demand an end to this genocide in Gaza and to demand that our government sanction Israel” as rallygoers, many with Palestinian flags, chanted “Free, free Palestine”.