Tens of thousands expected to march at pro-Palestine protest in Melbourne

Protesters have gathered at Victoria's State Library for a march through Melbourne's CBD.

Transcript

00:00Thousands of people are expected to attend this protest here in Melbourne today, which

00:06has been organised to call for sanctions against Israel over the starvation in Gaza.

00:11Now the route that's being taken today has caused some friction with police.

00:15Protesters are gathering here at the State Library of Victoria and then are planning

00:18to march through the heart of the CBD before ending up at the King Street Bridge.

00:23Police have said they're concerned that a gathering there could block access for emergency

00:26services and they had asked protest organisers to reconsider that route, but we understand

00:31that's still the route being taken today.

00:33Now people attending have been asked to bring along pots and pans as symbolic reminders of

00:39the issue of starvation in Gaza.

00:41Over recent weeks we've seen allies of Israel, including Australia, ramping up pressure on

00:46Israel over its conduct in Gaza with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it's completely

00:50indefensible that aid is being denied to Gazan civilians.

00:54We're expecting speeches to begin here very shortly before that march continues through

00:59Melbourne CBD.