Minns invokes ‘major event’ powers ahead of Israeli president visit
Updated ,first published
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended his decision to invite Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia; The NSW government has introduced rare police powers ahead of planned protests when it arrives in Sydney this week.
Albanese acknowledged there were mixed views among the public about Herzog’s visit, but argued that he arrived as a statesman of Israel and that his position was equivalent to that of Australia’s governor-general.
“President Herzog’s remarks are coming in the context of the devastating anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Bondi,” the prime minister said on Saturday. “President Herzog’s visit is to support the Jewish community during a very difficult time.”
Herzog was invited to visit Australia by Albanese following the Bondi terrorist attack in December. The duo will meet with families of Bondi attack victims and hold talks with political leaders.
The visit has prompted pro-Palestinian activists to prepare for a nationwide day of protests to coincide with Herzog’s arrival on Monday. The United Nations commission of inquiry found that Herzog and other Israeli officials were “subject to investigation for incitement to genocide” due to statements made after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Albanese said people in democracies such as Australia and Israel “have the right to express their views” but he hoped people would respect the purpose of the visit.
Prime Minister Chris Minns called for calm, respect and co-operation during the visit, while announcing additional powers for police to separate and deal with crowds in Sydney. Protest restrictions in the city were also extended last week.
“It’s really important that there is no conflict or violence on the streets of Sydney,” Minns said at a press conference. “We can’t agree without resorting to conflict or violence… In fact, that would be devastating for everyone, regardless of your cause.”
The government announced Saturday that it had declared the visit a “major event.” Major Events Act. The legislation is often invoked to manage crowds during sporting events such as in March. AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Minns urged people to avoid the Sydney CBD “unless absolutely necessary” on Monday afternoon and confirmed there would be a “massive police presence”.
On Friday it was revealed 500 NSW Police officers had been deployed to the protest.
important events declaration It was made by Tourism Minister Stephen Kamper on Friday. The powers extend from Monday to Thursday and cover the “major events area” in Sydney’s CBD and eastern suburbs.
“This is an important visit for our country and deeply significant for the Jewish community in NSW as we continue to grieve and recover from the horrific terrorist attack on 14 December,” Minns said.
“[We] “Without a strong police presence, we cannot allow mourners and protesters to come into close contact on city streets.”
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said Herzog would come “to mourn with our Australian Jewish community” after the state “lost 15 people at the end of last year in the worst terrorist incident this country has ever seen”.
The area covered by the major incident declaration was placed under additional 14-day protest restrictions by Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon last week.
Under these regulations, police can generally reject all applications for protest marches in the area, subjecting participants to potential criminal penalties for obstructing traffic and pedestrians.
On Saturday, Lanyon said he was aware that the Palestine Action Group had proposed a rally from City Hall towards the Sydney CBD, in an area where marches were not permitted. He said police had offered to facilitate a march from Hyde Park from Sydney’s north to south.
“We are very keen to ensure a safe and responsible protest,” he said.
Lanyon said the declaration gave police more powers to “instruct people to leave an area” and conduct searches, but they did not intend to use those powers “unless they had to.”
Palestine Action Group Sydney said in a statement that it “will carry out drills”. [its] “It is a democratic and legal right to protest the wanderings of a war criminal,” he said, criticizing Minns’ decision to invoke rare powers ahead of the visit.
“We call on NSW Police to facilitate a peaceful march to the NSW parliament within their jurisdiction,” the group said.
More than a dozen state and federal politicians, including NSW Labor upper house MPs Stephen Lawrence and Cameron Murphy and several Green MPs, have written to Lanyon to express their support for the planned march from City Hall to Parliament House.
The state government said large event powers would allow police to “maintain separation between different groups and reduce the risk of conflict in dense areas of the city”.
The statement said, “These regulations are not a ban on protests or marches. People reserve the right to express their opinions in accordance with the law.”
Under the legislation, police can “limit the number of people who can enter a major event area or any part of it” and prohibit “categories of people” from entering the area.
Penalties for failure to comply include fines of up to $5,500.
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Mike Foley is the climate and energy correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
