Thousands Protest in Australia During President Herzog’s Visit
Sydney police deployed pepper spray against demonstrators on Monday as a rally opposing Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia escalated into clashes.
President Herzog’s four-day trip, conducted under tight security, was intended to offer condolences and solidarity to Australia’s Jewish community following December’s tragic shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. That attack claimed 15 lives during a Hanukkah festival.
However, his arrival was met with significant protests in both Sydney and Melbourne. In Sydney, the demonstration turned confrontational, with police using pepper spray on protesters and members of the media, including journalists from AFP. A Palestine Action Group spokesman, Josh Lees, stated on Instagram that police had “repeatedly charged us with horses and pepper spray.”
In Melbourne, crowds gathered in the city center calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. According to an AFP journalist, at least 15 protesters were arrested following scuffles with police.
Heightened Security and Legal Context
Prior to the rally, the New South Wales state government invoked new powers granting police broader authority to manage demonstrations. An attempt by protest organizers to challenge these powers in the state’s Supreme Court failed just hours before the event began.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier appealed for respect, noting the solemn purpose of Herzog’s visit. The president and the prime minister were scheduled to meet with the families of the Bondi Beach victims.
A Visit Focused on Solidarity
A short distance from the protests, President Herzog attended an event titled “An Evening of Light and Solidarity” dedicated to the victims of the December attack. Earlier in the day, under gray and rainy skies, he laid a wreath outside the Bondi Pavilion.
“The bonds between good people of all faiths and all nations will continue to hold strong in the face of terror, violence, and hatred,” Herzog stated. “We shall overcome this evil together.”
He also placed two stones from Jerusalem on Bondi Beach in what he described as “sacred memory of the victims.”
The events of the day underscored the deeply polarized public response to Herzog’s visit, juxtaposing a message of communal condolence against ongoing public outcry over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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