MARY-Jane Liddicoat, the organiser of the September 13th March for Australia, has apologised for failing to keep the Sydney Harbour Bridge open for this Saturday’s March Against corruption.
“I am sorry that I did not have the courage to stand alone in the NSW Supreme Court to defend our right to march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” Mary-Jane posted on the Turning Point Australia (TPA) Facebook page.
But TPA spokesman Joel Jammal described the police court action as an ambush at the direction of the Premier Chris Minns.
Minns posted a statement about the march, saying “everything is on the table if police fail to stop it”, and he “would not rule anything out”.
Of course Minns had no problem with the Bridge Marathon on August 31st, or the Spring Ride over the bridge on September 30 or the LGBTQ parade.
Jammal said it was not Mary-Jane’s fault that the court action succeeded for police. “It was the entire state against one woman,” he said. Furthermore, police were also going to try to stop the Hyde Park gathering, so it was a case of having no choice.
“I am sorry that I did not have the strength to face the full weight of NSW Police and their battalion of legal experts. I wish I did,” said Ms Liddicoat.
“So – I am very sorry – I have withdrawn the Harbour Bridge from our Australia Unites Rally Form 1.
“The good news is that our rally will still go ahead on Saturday 13 September at Hyde Park, with a march through the Sydney CBD.”
Ms Liddicoat said she “sat alone in at my desk for three stress-filled days, facing a tidal wave of legal and court paperwork, struggling to understand it, trying to secure representation, preparing for a potential court appearance. I failed.
“If the March for Humanity on 3 August succeeded in court, why didn’t I? Fair question.
“I contacted their three barristers — too busy. I contacted their instructing solicitor — no reply.
“Through our community I eventually spoke with three wonderfully supportive lawyers. Thank you to those three. They listened, explained, and helped me see that the legal documents contained very subtle and complex issues that carried real risks — to me personally, and to the rally itself. But none of them had the capacity to represent me.
“It is my name on the case, my name in the media. I know many people wanted this to go to court — no matter the outcome.
“But I could not do it alone. I could not risk the rally being shut down entirely, or being personally liable for hundreds of thousands in police legal costs. Simply, I could not do it without help.
“So yes, I withdrew the Bridge. I know you are disappointed. I know you are angry. Please know I did my absolute best.
“Not all is lost. The most important thing is this: Hyde Park, Sydney, Saturday 13 September.”
Marchers should arrive by 11.30am, ready for the march that kicks off at 12 noon, through the city and back to Hyde Park for speakers.
“We are everyday Australians with real struggles — rising costs, declining health, violence, and policies that put corporations before people. We demand that our leaders hear us and act for the good of everyday Australians,” said Ms Liddicoat.
“That is what the Australia Unites Rally is about. Please — come to Hyde Park. Stand together. Be heard. Demand change. And then return to your communities to create that change.”
