WHAT WAS CLAIMED
An image shows pro-Palestine protestors defying a court ruling and marching to the Sydney Opera House.
OUR VERDICT
False. The image is AI-generated.
AAP FACTCHECK - An image supposedly showing pro-Palestinian demonstrators defying a court order by marching on the Sydney Opera House is fake.
Although there was a march in Sydney, an image shared on social media was created using artificial intelligence.
Protesters marched in the city on October 12, 2025, to mark the second anniversary of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, after being prohibited from rallying at the Opera House by a court order.
However, a Facebook post featuring an image of flag-waving protesters with the iconic building in the background claims they defied the order.
"Thousands March in Sydney: Pro-Palestine Rally Defies Court Blockade on Second Anniversary of Gaza Conflict Despite a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the gathering at the Sydney Opera House," the caption reads.
The image has also been shared on X and reported by foreign media, including an Indonesian news website.
However, there are several clues that the image is AI-generated.
Many signs held by protesters in the image feature garbled or illegible text; the most prominent placard reads "SACTION ISRAEL" instead of the presumed "SANCTION ISRAEL."'
The Opera House itself appears to have four sails, or shells, on its northwest structure, but AAP Photos show the real building only has three.
The view of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed building suggests the image was taken from The Rocks, looking east across Circular Quay, yet no streetscape in that area matches the image.
A comparison using Google StreetView shows that the perspective of the Opera House in the AI image could only be captured from near the Sydney Harbour Bridge's southeast pylons.
While some buildings in the fabricated image appear to be more than 10 storeys high, in reality, the tallest building in that vicinity is a five-storey hotel.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
