Australia: Thousands gather for Brisbane rally on same-sex marriage vote

Thousands of people have rallied in Brisbane for same-sex marriage, with several streets in the city blocked off for the event at Queens Gardens in the CBD.  Queensland unions, entertainer Dolly Diamond, and Dykes on Bikes were some of those who addressed to the crowd.

The High Court upheld the legal validity of the non-binding postal survey last week, with a vote result expected in mid-November. Australian households will begin receiving postal surveys this week. About 10 protesters at today's Brisbane rally held up placards and shouted slogans denouncing same-sex marriage.

Convenors of the Queensland YES campaign urged the crowd to push for a "strong, positive and respectful" argument in favour of same-sex marriage. Director of the YES campaign, Peter Black, said he was excited by the "energy" and "enthusiasm" of the crowd. Read more via ABC