Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian march in New Zealand’s biggest city

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(Corrects to say ‘centre-right coalition government’ in paragraph 8, not ‘centre-left’)

(Reuters) – Thousands took part in a pro-Palestinian march in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, on Saturday, in what organisers said was the largest rally of its kind since the war in Gaza began between Israel and militant Islamist Palestinian group Hamas.

Some 50,000 attended the March for Humanity rally in central Auckland on Saturday morning, the Aotearoa for Palestine group said. New Zealand police estimated the attendance at 20,000.

Aotearoa for Palestine spokesperson Arama Rata said it was New Zealand’s largest march in support of Palestinians since conflict broke out in Gaza, when Israel started an offensive in retaliation for a Hamas-led cross-border attack that killed about 1,200 people in October 2023.

Palestinian authorities have said that more than 64,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Gaza, while humanitarian organisations say a shortage of food is leading to widespread starvation.

Many in Saturday’s protest crowd carried Palestinian flags and banners with slogans including “Don’t normalise genocide” and “Grow a spine stand with Palestine”, public broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported.

Organisers, motivated by a march that shut down Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge in August, wanted to close a major city bridge with Saturday’s rally, Rata said, but were forced to abandon those plans on Friday due to strong winds.

Police said there were no arrests at the march and that roads along the route were being reopened.

Aotearoa for Palestine said it wanted New Zealand’s centre-right coalition government to impose sanctions on Israel.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in August described recent Israeli actions in Gaza, including a lack of humanitarian assistance, as “utterly appalling”, and New Zealand has been weighing up whether to recognise a Palestinian state.

The New Zealand Jewish Council, a body representing around 10,000 Jews who live in the country, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the march.

(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Tom Hogue)