Clashes erupt in Sydney during Israeli president visit
Police and demonstrators clashed violently in central Sydney on Monday evening during protests against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, resulting in 27 arrests and at least nine people facing criminal charges, including allegations of assaulting officers.
About 6,000 people gathered at Sydney Town Hall for what organizers, the Palestine Action Group, described as a peaceful rally opposing Herzog’s four day trip to Australia. At the conclusion of speeches, protesters signaled their intention to march toward the New South Wales Parliament, defying protest restrictions imposed under emergency powers following the Bondi Beach terror attack in December.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon characterized the crowd as hostile and aggressive, saying officers were confronted with threats, physical assaults and what he described as ongoing scuffles as they attempted to prevent demonstrators from breaching barricades. Ten of those arrested were charged with assaulting police.
Organizers and several witnesses disputed that account. Josh Lees, a spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, accused police of excessive force, pointing to videos circulating online that appeared to show officers striking protesters, deploying pepper spray and advancing on horseback into the crowd.
Abigail Boyd, a Greens member of the New South Wales Parliament, said she was injured and briefly hospitalized after being struck by an officer while filming the protest. She stated that the only violence she witnessed came from police and described it as indiscriminate. Boyd also said she saw officers forcibly remove Muslim men who were kneeling in prayer.
The Australian National Imams Council said footage of officers forcefully pushing Muslim worshippers was shocking and deeply troubling.
Herzog’s visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, was intended to commemorate victims of the Dec. 14, 2025 Bondi Beach shooting, in which two gunmen killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration. The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in decades.
Activists argued that Herzog should face scrutiny rather than a ceremonial welcome. A 2025 United Nations commission of inquiry identified Herzog among Israeli officials who allegedly incited genocide through statements suggesting collective responsibility of Palestinians for the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Israel has rejected allegations of genocide.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns defended police actions, saying officers were placed in an extremely difficult position. Amnesty International Australia and the New South Wales Greens called for an independent investigation into the police response.
Further demonstrations took place Tuesday outside a Sydney police station, and additional protests were planned to coincide with Herzog’s visits to Melbourne and Canberra before his departure on Thursday.
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