Thousands of Australians joined pro-Palestinian rallies on Sunday (August 24), organisers said, amid strained relations between Israel and Australia following the centre-left government's decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

More than 40 protests took place across Australia on Sunday, Palestine Action Group said, including large turnouts in state capitals Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Around 350,000 attended the rallies nationwide, the group added, including around 50,000 in Brisbane, though police estimated the numbers there at closer to 10,000. Police 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 rally-goers, many with Palestinian flags, chanted "free, free Palestine".

The protests follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week stepping up his personal attacks on his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese over his government's decision this month to recognise a Palestinian state.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. TOP VIEW OF PROTESTERS MARCHING THROUGH CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24, 2025) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au.)

2. PROTESTERS MARCHING AND HOLDING SIGN READING (English) "ALBO, GROW A PAIR"

3. PROTESTERS MARCHING

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

4. TOP VIEW PROTESTERS MARCHING THROUGH CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24, 2025) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au.)

5. PROTESTERS MARCHING AND HOLDING SIGN READING (English) "STOP KILLING BABIES"

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER, SAYING:

"We expected to be a big and huge rally but today is more than we expected which is important. This strong message that Australian people will not accept this genocide and starvation in Gaza and we want Australian government to take practical steps to join other countries to end this genocide."

7. PROTESTERS MARCHING AND HOLDING PLACARDS

8. PROTESTER DRUMMING AMID PROTESTERS

9. PROTESTERS MARCHING AND HOLDING SIGN READING (English) "GUTLESS" WITH IMAGE OF AUSTRALIA'S PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE

10. PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN READING (English) "PALESTINIANS LIVES MATTER"

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN ACTION GROUP, JOSH LEES, SAYING:

"We've faced so many, you know, repression, bullies, silencing from the establishment in this country that now everyone has a renewed confidence. We know we're right and we know that the mass of people in this country are with us when we say this genocide has to end and when we call on the Albanese government to say no more bullshit, no more empty words, no more empty gestures. Statehood recognition is a distraction. We demand sanctions and an end to the two-way arms trade."

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24, 2025) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au.)

12. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING AND HOLDING FLAGS

13. PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN OF IMAGES OF STARVING CHILDREN

14. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING AND HOLDING FLAGS

15. SIGN READING (English): "NETANYAHU YOU CAN'T HIDE GENOCIDE"

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN GREENS PARTY, LARISSA WATERS, SAYING:

"Australians are horrified that we are selling weapons components to the Israeli government. It's got to stop and I'm excited at the sheer numbers of folks turning up right around the country. The voice of Australians is really clear, we want peace, we want sanctions on the Israeli government, we want the aid to get through, and we want those weapons components and that two-way arms trade with Israel to stop."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24, 2025) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au.)

17. SIGN READING (English): "JEWS IN SOLIDARITY, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE"

18. PEOPLE AT PROTEST

19. SIGN READING (English): "THE VOICE OF GAZA, SILENCED 1996-2025"

20. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT PROTEST

21. PALESTINIAN FLAG