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Krishani Dhanji
ACTU repeats call for Australia to recognise Palestinian state
The Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary, Sally McManus, says the government should “urgently” recognise a Palestinian state.
McManus is on the ABC Insiders program this morning, and says the number of innocent people that have been killed is in the tens of thousands, and “now people are being starved”.
We think that it is urgent that our Government does recognise Palestine as a state, and you know, we need to do this urgently, and the reason is because people are starving.
The ACTU has long supported a two state solution, and has been calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza since conflict broke out after the 7 October attacks.
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NSW Transport warns people to expect major delays from Sydney protest
Transport for NSW says people in Sydney should expect major delays and disruptions on roads and public transport today because the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be closed for the pro-Palestine march.
The bridge will be closed from 11.30am until about 4pm, the agency says, advising people to delay non-essential travel in the CBD and in North Sydney.
Several roads in the city and to the north will be closed and long queues are expected to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, extending to the western distributor, Anzac Bridge, Rozelle Interchange and the eastern distributor in the south, and Gore Hill Freeway and Lane Cove Tunnel “and all of the roads linking into these major corridors”.
Bus services will stop at North Sydney or Wynyard while the bridge is closed and travellers should expect crowding on platforms.
People can stay up to date with road issues on the agency’s sites for live traffic and transport alerts.
Here’s our round up of the travel disruptions from yesterday afternoon.
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Updated at 00.53 BST
Sydney MP Ed Husic to march with pro-Palestine protesters
Western Sydney Labor MP Ed Husic believes it is the images of starving children in Gaza that has spurred many people to publicly support Palestinian people.
Talking to the ABC, Husic says Australians are “deeply, deeply affected by the images they are seeing out of Gaza” of starving people.
The Labor member for Chifley, Ed Husic, says protesters want to send a ‘strong message’ to governments that the killing in Gaza must stop. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Husic, who the ABC reported would join the Sydney march, says protesters want to send “a strong message through peaceful protests to governments, both here and abroad, that the killing has got to stop”.
Images of starving children is not only unacceptable, he says, it breaks international law and “offends our values as people, so I think you’re going to see today people turn out to send the message that they want to see this all end”.
I want us today at this march to demonstrate to project our commitment to humanity and to the value of human life. It is very important. In doing so, we also need to recognise and work towards keeping our communities together.
I feel really strongly that Jewish Australians or Muslim Australians cannot be held to account for the decisions of players or governments in other parts of the world. We have to recognise that. People should be able to practise their faith, go about their lives, their daily lives, without feeling fear. That’s really important.
On the question of recognising a Palestinian state, Husic says it is right that Australia should join with others, including Canada, France and the UK.
I think it’s right for our country to be able to join with friends, recognise Palestine now and for all the pre-conditions that we have set, have the best ability to do so by working early with big players on the international scene.
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Updated at 00.47 BST
‘Incredibly chaotic’: Sussan Ley questions pro-Palestine Sydney protest
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has questioned the pro-Palestine protest in Sydney due later today, saying it could have happened elsewhere without “massive diversion of police resources”.
Talking to the ABC, Ley says everyone wants to “see the bloodshed stop” and says the war could end tomorrow with a Hamas surrender and the release of hostages.
The leader of the opposition, Sussan Ley, says today’s march across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge is a ‘massive diversion of police resources’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
She says she remains “a friend of the Palestinian people” and says Palestinians in Gaza need to be fed, but she has questioned the need to shut the Harbour Bridge.
We are seeing protests now regular – this is going to happen on an ongoing basis – it is going to create massive diversion of police resources. What are they not going to be able to do because they are dealing with this?
The language of the people running this protest doesn’t sound peaceful to me and protests, of course, can happen in Australia. I respect the right of free speech and protest, but this is taking it to another level – shutting down a major access route, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The protest could happen elsewhere, and I also know of law enforcement, quite concerned about what they will have to do in response to this. This is obviously, with respect to something that has happened overseas and I’ve just described how I believe Australians feel about that, but we don’t need to shut down something as important as the Harbour Bridge and there is work being done on the Metro as well, so this is going to be incredibly chaotic for Sydneysiders today.
We need peace first. Everyone wants to see this war end.
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Updated at 00.29 BST
Woman washed away by flood waters in Hunter wild weather
Emergency services are searching for a woman who police were told had escaped from a vehicle that was stuck in flood waters in the Hunter region.
Officers were called at about 7.50pm yesterday to Black Creek, 16 km north of Cessnock. The driver and passenger of a Mini Countryman had been seen getting out of the car.
The driver escaped uninjured but the passenger, thought to be in her 20s, was swept away.
After NSW SES arrived, a 40-year-old man was also rescued after becoming stuck in a tree and then being pushed out and through the waters.
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Updated at 00.10 BST
NSW police promise heavy presence for Sydney pro-Palestine march
NSW police is promising a heavy presence for the pro-Palestine march in Sydney, saying hundreds of officers will be checking for “unlawful and anti-social behaviour”.
Adam Johnson, the Central Metropolitan Region Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner , said community safety was the focus.
The first and upmost priority for NSW police is always the safety of those protesting, other members of the public who may be impacted by the protest, and the officers involved in the operation.
Police will have a high-visibility presence at the operation today and will work with participants to ensure there are no breaches of the peace.
We ask all those who will be participating in the protest to please follow police directions and respect those around you. We also encourage other members of the public to avoid the area if possible
The police said hundreds of officers were briefed from 8am today ahead of the march and the closure of the bridge, expected at 11.30am.
The march itself is due to start at 1pm, with protesters gathering at Lang Park.
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Good morning
Good morning. Graham Readfearn here, bringing your live news coverage for Sunday, with a lot going on.
Later this morning, tens of thousands of people are expected to begin gathering at Lang Park in Sydney for a march across the Harbour Bridge in support of Palestine. Protesters are also planning to blockade the King Street bridge in Melbourne at lunchtime.
There’s also wild weather across NSW with the State Emergency Service responding to more than 1,400 incidents due to severe rainfall, thunderstorms and snow.
We’ll have a lot more detail on all this and more through the day.
Stay safe and if you are heading out in NSW, check the weather and go prepared.
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