Premier Chris Minns is assessing a court decision that allowed more than 100,000 pro-Palestine protesters to march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge over concerns it may have set a precedent.

The crowds were, however, forced to halt and turn back due to public safety concerns after an overwhelming number of people attended, dwarfing the 10,000 initially expected.

Minns was vocal about his concerns over the protest in the days leading up to it, and stood by his decision to oppose the organisers.

“I accept the decision of the court,” he told reporters today.

“I also accept that people came to the protest and acted peacefully.

“They demonstrated, they followed police advice, the organisers worked with police in difficult circumstances.”

Minns estimated the protest cost taxpayers millions. 

He said his government was examining the court’s judgment to determine whether a precedent had been set, adding that “we can’t shut down the bridge every weekend”.

“We’re examining the judgment to determine whether this is a precedent or there are circumstances in relation to the judgment that specifically make it applicable to just that form 1 application,” he said.

“No one should believe it’s open season on the bridge, however. Police still have to make a judgment on public safety and the logistics associated with it.”

Minns would not announce whether he would introduce legislation to attempt to stop protests across the Harbour Bridge, but said he is “not ruling anything out”.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley earlier this morning commended police for their last-minute crowd management, saying “never before has there been a protest of that magnitude in our city”.

“For such a large crowd emerging in the city, something of this magnitude would take absolutely months, many months,” she said.

“In fact, the marathon takes at least 10 months to organise the logistics to ensure that that happens without incident.

“The police made it very clear that they did not have enough time to put in place the contingencies required for such a large crowd into the city.”

The organisers, Palestine Action Group, said it was an “absolutely incredible day” and “everyone should be so proud of themselves”.

“Minns predicted chaos. Instead, we had what we knew we would, a beautiful outpouring of humanity, marching side by side to end a genocide and demand our government sanction Israel,” the group said in a statement.

“We’ve sent an enormous message to the world.”

Julian Assange, Bob Carr, and several Labor and Greens MPs joined the crowds yesterday to march in protest against starvation in Gaza.

Western Sydney Labor MP Ed Husic marched yesterday and said it sent a “strong message”.

“There’ll always be people that want to pick out things here and there, but I thought it was an important message being sent by a lot of Australians who are concerned by what they’re seeing on their TV screens,” he told Today.

Husic said he wanted to see Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stand up today and join Canada, the United Kingdom, and France in making the step to recognise Palestinian statehood.

“It’s in our interests to do it today,” he said.

“We’ve got a number of conditions we believe are important as part of that process. There’s no better way to see those conditions met than to be with people early on.

“I think the sooner the better, but it’s up to the Prime Minister, obviously, who’s juggling a lot of different considerations before making that call, but I think he would get massive support out of Australians if he did it today.”

Albanese has yet to comment on yesterday’s protest across the Harbour Bridge.

His government did, however, announce this morning that it will send an additional $20 million of aid to Gaza.

The funding will go to organisations that are delivering food, medical supplies and other resources to the starving enclave.

“Australia has consistently been part of the international call on Israel to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid to Gaza, in line with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.

“The suffering and starvation of civilians in Gaza must end.”