On August 24, 2025, a diverse crowd of over 40,000 people in Magan-djin/Brisbane peacefully assembled to protest Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to demand the Australian government impose sanctions. The success of this massive event, organized by Justice for Palestine Magan-djin (JFP), stands in stark contrast to the obstructive and sometimes incompetent conduct of the Queensland Police and Brisbane City Council (BCC), who systematically attempted to undermine this democratic right.
The right to peaceful assembly is a defining characteristic of a democratic society. However, JFP’s experience demonstrates the system will fail its citizens if the Police, BCC and other authorities do not recognize the right and engage with the system in good faith.
The System Fails in the Absence of Good Faith:
JFP followed the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992 procedures meticulously, notifying police and BCC of their intention to march over the Story Bridge. Instead of good-faith engagement, authorities launched a media campaign filled with false claims. Police conducted mediation as a mere formality with no intention to engage with the issues and only as the required precursor of an application to the Magistrate’s Court to refuse the assembly.
At the hearing on August 22, Chief Magistrate Brassington was presented with JFP’s detailed, uncontested 106-paragraph affidavit from an experienced organizer. Despite this evidence of logistical expertise—gained from organizing over 50 peaceful rallies—the magistrate relied on the exaggerated testimony of so-called police “experts” and rejected the bridge march due to unfounded claims of risk.
Official Obstruction and Incompetence:
The court’s last-minute approval of an alternative route to Musgrave Park proposed by Police was only the beginning of the official failures on the day:
- Endangering Public Safety: Police negligently allowed traffic to flow dangerously close to the overflowing crowd in Queen’s Gardens and were slow to close key intersections along the march route, putting attendees at risk.
- BCC Hostility: BCC locked the gates to Musgrave Park at the end of the approved route, intentionally hindering marchers from safely entering the destination approved by the court.
- Failure to Manage Counter-Protestors: Police delayed acting against right-wing provocateurs threatening the march from an overpass despite being provided with photographic evidence.
These actions were not mere errors; they were deliberate acts of obstruction that endangered public safety and violated the spirit of the Peaceful Assembly Act.
A Peaceful Majority, Maliciously Misrepresented:
Contrary to police affidavits and media fearmongering prior to the march, it was entirely peaceful. There were no Hamas flags, no threats to the Australian flag, and no violence. The only threat to safety came from the authorities and their failure to manage the event they had approved.
The expertise and goodwill of the JFP organizers and community’s peaceful resolve prevented the police and BCC’s negligence from causing harm. We will continue to exercise our democratic rights to demand that our government take strong immediate action against the Israeli State to end the genocide.
We are marching again on September 14 and for a National Day of Action on October 12. We continue to demand that the Australian government sanction Israel now.
Ian Curr
4 September 2025
