Police and demonstrators clash at Sydney Town Hall
Updated ,first published
Dozens of protesters were arrested in violent clashes with police as thousands of people demonstrated against visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, hours after a court rejected a bid to revoke increased powers given to police during his time in Sydney.
On Monday night, a crowd estimated at 6,000 surrounded City Hall, waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs criticizing Herzog, before 27 people were arrested, 10 of whom allegedly attacked police.
At a press conference late on Monday night, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna claimed those arrested were caught up in the “spread of groupthink”.
“Officers were being threatened, shoved and assaulted and we had to issue warrants to mobilize and direct this crowd out of the CBD,” McKenna said.
He said this led to “a series of melee fights, occasional brawls and violent behavior from the crowd”.
As police moved the crowd away, dozens of demonstrators were punched and pepper sprayed. Others were thrown to the ground and some were trampled underfoot as police officers and horses pushed the crowd towards Bathurst Street.
The clashes occurred as protesters attempted to march towards the NSW Parliament; The police blocked the crowd and ordered them to disperse.
Protesters helped each other wash their eyes, while others were pinned to the ground or dragged into police vans.
Just before the rally turned into chaos and violence, Palestine Action Group (PAG) spokesman Josh Lees addressed the angry crowd.
“We will take back our streets and demand freedom,” he said.
“People are being arrested and pepper sprayed in front of us… it’s a huge disgrace.”
Lees told reporter People were “battered” and “assaulted” by police as they tried to leave after being told to disperse.
“The police started attacking with horses and pepper spray and [were] “They were attacking people, arresting people and telling everyone to disperse, but they couldn’t go anywhere because they were surrounded on all sides,” he said.
“All they had to do was facilitate a march.”
McKenna said he witnessed “restriction” by police and that protesters were given ample time to disperse.
“A lot of people actually left,” he said.
“Those who do not leave, if they get caught up in something, they have made their choice.”
He accused speakers at the event of inciting the crowd and said the cooperative relationship police had previously enjoyed with PAG organizers had changed as a result of the evening’s “disappointing” events.
“They’ve got some work to do now to rebuild trust,” McKenna said.
The group plans to protest outside Sydney police station on Tuesday afternoon.
In the video published on social media, a group of men who stopped to pray are seen being dragged by the advancing police.
The National Imams Council of Australia said in a statement that the shocking images were deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable.
“Police are mandated to protect the community, ensure public safety and de-escalate tensions so as not to interfere with religious observance or exacerbate an already fragile situation.”
Another video shows multiple officers punching a man with his hands up.
McKenna said people shouldn’t be too quick to judge the videos “on their own, out of context.”
He said he had not yet reviewed police body-worn video of the events.
“If things need to come out for the right reasons, we have no problem sharing,” he said.
“In an environment where thousands of people are in a very narrow space where leaders stand up and say, ‘let’s do the wrong thing, let’s march’… these officers are in a very vulnerable and precarious position.
“I think the police actions tonight were absolutely justified,” McKenna said.
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson, who attended the protest, said police were “brutal, unnecessary and violent”.
“I’ve seen young women thrown against walls, Aboriginal people detained and tear gas used indiscriminately,” he said.
“The police were clearly encouraged to resort to violence. There is ample footage of appalling police brutality.”
Earlier, protesters held signs labeling the visiting president a “war criminal” and accusing him of genocide. “Isaac you are pure evil,” one said.
Some of them were holding bloody dolls representing dead Gaza children. Other signs featured wanted posters of Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Others waved signs featuring Prime Minister Chris Minns and Herzog painted with mustaches reminiscent of Hitler.
The rally took place shortly after the NSW Supreme Court rejected an urgent legal challenge to the broad powers given to police for Herzog’s visit to Australia. Judge Robertson Wright made the orders less than an hour before the planned protest.
The NSW government quietly declared Herzog’s visit a major event on Friday, under legislation often used to manage crowds at major sporting events.
This triggered wide-ranging powers for NSW Police, including shutting down parts of the “major incident area” in the Sydney CBD and eastern suburbs, limiting the number of people who can remain in the area and the power to conduct searches. Walking to Parliament was not a permitted route.
The major incident declaration was not made public until Saturday.
Minutes after the court challenge was rejected, Lees said the protest at City Hall and the planned march to Parliament House would go ahead regardless.
Australian of the Year Grace Tame earlier condemned Herzog’s visit, telling the crowd that Australia was “a so-called democracy that punishes peaceful protestors like us but welcomes a war criminal with open arms”.
“A man who said… and I quote, ‘There are no innocent civilians in Gaza,'” Tame said, before chanting “From Gadigal to Gaza, globalize the intifada.”
Labor MPs Dr Sarah Kaine, Cameron Murphy and Stephen Lawrence were at the rally despite Minns using special police powers.
Jewish independent journalist Antony Loewenstein told the crowd that Israel’s actions “endanger us all, including the Jews.”
“[Herzog] “In Israel he could be seen as a guy to the left of the Labor Party, believe me he is an extremist, which is pretty mainstream in Israel,” Loewenstein said.
This is the first time that the police’s broad powers have been used solely for the visit of a foreign dignitary.
“The Prime Minister of Australia has invited another head of state to come to NSW, so we have an obligation to protect that person and that was part of tonight’s operation,” McKenna said.
“We cannot allow a situation where mourners, visitors and protesters are brought into close proximity to each other in a way that risks conflict, violence or disruption of public order,” the government said in a press release on Saturday.
If successful, challenging the jurisdiction of major events would eliminate only one source of potential criminal liability for protesters.
PAG has also launched a pending appeal to single out restrictions on public gatherings introduced in the wake of the Bondi tragedy, which strip away legal protections for protesters who obstruct traffic or pedestrians along unauthorized protest routes.
As the crowd gathered at City Hall and chanted “from river to sea, from Herzog to ICC” [International Criminal Court]Not far away, snipers and a flying police helicopter prepared for Herzog to arrive at the International Convention Centre, a different ICC, where he was speaking at an event organized by the Zionist Federation of Australia.
At the request of police, the crowd at the Sydney ICC was held in place for 30 minutes at the end of the event in an attempt to keep supporters of the Israeli president separate from protesters in the CBD outside.
Herzog arrived in Sydney on Monday morning and is expected to visit Canberra and Melbourne as part of the visit.
The invitation came later Bondi Beach massacre on 14 December. In the attack targeting the Jewish community, 15 people died and dozens were injured. It’s the first night of Hanukkah.
The visit prompted pro-Palestinian activists to prepare for a nationwide day of protests to coincide with Herzog’s arrival. The United Nations commission of inquiry concluded that Herzog and other Israeli officials “may be sued for incitement to genocide” for comments made after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
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Jessica McSweeney is a reporter covering city affairs and state politics for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Mostafa Rachwani is a Parramatta reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously a Community Affairs correspondent for Guardian Australia.Connect via email.
