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Police Reach Agreement With Pro-Palestine Organisers For Rally In Sydney

A compromise has been reached between police and pro-Palestine organisers, allowing a controversial protest to go ahead despite fears a recent escalation of violence in the Middle East could see tensions ignite.

A NSW Supreme Court hearing was interrupted late on Thursday afternoon with news an agreement had been reached between the parties.

During discussions taking place in the background of court proceedings, protest organisers agreed for the Sunday rally and CBD march to commence in Hyde Park instead of Town Hall.

Organiser Joshua Lees told AAP the rally will look very similar to what was already planned.

"We got what we wanted," he said.

Rally organisers are no longer seeking approval to hold an authorised protest on Monday, October 7, the anniversary of deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel, the court was told.

It follows a bid by police commissioner Karen Webb to stop both events from proceeding, citing public safety concerns given a recent expansion of conflict in the Middle East.

Police feared the proposed Sunday rally could become a "tinderbox" if the estimated thousands of attendees passed by Sydney's Great Synagogue, the court had heard.

Justice Jeremy Kirk was told he was no longer required to decide whether approval for the rally on Sunday to commence at Hyde Park rather than Town Hall, with organisers estimating an attendance of roughly 5000 people.

Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, during which about 1200 people were massacred and about 250 were taken hostage.

NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed concerns regarding the protest turning violent.

Amal Naser is a spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, and she told The Project Minns, “has been participating in a lot of racist dog whistling in an attempt to delegitimise our protest, but the reality is our group has held peaceful rallies for the past 51 weeks.”

“We will continue steaming ahead as being one of the largest anti-war movements in this country, opposing Israel’s disgraceful genocide over the past 12 months,” Naser continued.

When asked whether it was unsympathetic to hold the protest on October 7, Naser answered, “I think we have every right to gather on October 7 and to mourn the loss of Gazan lives. The loss of Gazan lives did start on October 7.”

“We’ll be mourning and focusing on the 42,000 Palestinians that have been murdered by the state of Israel.”