We were on the ground again to cover the Melbourne 'March for Humanity', organised by pro Palestine organisers who sought to do a local mass rally in solidarity with the Sydney Harbour Bridge march, also dubbed 'March for Humanity', that took place on the same day.
Depending on who you ask, numbers in attendance at the Sydney march ranged from 90,000 to more than 300,000 plus following a failed attempt via the courts, by the New South Wales Police, to shut it down and have it deemed 'unlawful'. The size and scale of this demonstration likely rivaled similar marches and rallies that have taken place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and arguibly stands as the biggest demonstration in Australian history.
In the Melbourne CBD, organisers sought to do a similar albeit less symbolic march across King St Bridge.
See this guide to photographing protests, which also serves as our ethical framework for documenting these sorts of events.
As it has done so for many Sundays before, the rally begins and gathers at the State Library of Victoria, with speeches.
A trio of right-wing agitators waving Australian flags stand at the periphery of the protest, in an attempt to provoke a reaction. They, however, are dutifully ignored.
The rally assembles on Swanstom St, preparing to march towards the King St Bridge.
The higher vantage point (the tram stop barriers along Swanston St) show the scale of the crowd.
The front of the march comes into Bourke St Mall.
Photos of the crowd, looking east down Bourke St, again shows the scale of the rally. Most of the march has, at this point, yet to turn into Bourke St from Swanston St.
The front of the march turns off Bourke St and down King St, and makes its way towards King St Bridge.
...Which is being blocked off by dozens of Public Order Response Team (PORT) members decked out in full riot control gear.
We aren't sure why they didn't just let the march cross, given that the disruption would've been over quicker (and the protesters would've allowed for any emergency services vehicles to pass through, unlike the police).
Likewise, we also have no idea what purpose riot cops served in facing off against a crowd consisting of families and children actually served either, if not for blatant intimidation.
Barricades. Yep, no emergency services vehicles are getting through that, even if it's the fastest way to their destination.
The police didn't get the violence they were itching for.
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