Protests resume as anger mounts over ‘brutal’ police
Despite some facing charges, protesters have returned to city streets vowing not to be intimidated as they rally against the Israeli president’s visit.
Source: X
Protesters have vowed not to be intimidated by police, as hundreds gathered a day after officers beat, sprayed and arrested those rallying against a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
At least 100 officers, on foot and on horseback, were stationed at a protest in Sydney’s inner east on Tuesday night.
It came after violent clashes between demonstrators and police 24 hours earlier which resulted in the arrest of 27 people.
There was a sense of anger at Tuesday’s protest, with goggle-wearing demonstrators chanting anti-police and anti-government slogans.
Palestine Action Group spokesman Josh Lees told the rally that Herzog should never have been invited to Australia.
“In order to roll out the red carpet for him, they crushed the rights of the people in this city to protest against him. We absolutely will not be intimidated,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has hit back at those criticising her for chanting “from Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada” at Monday’s rally.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce called for Tame to be stripped of her title, while NSW Premier Chris Minns said the footage was “distressing” given the recent terror attack at Bondi.
But Tame posted on Tuesday that “I’m not the story”.
“Politicians and the press can deflect onto me all they like, but I’m not the story,” she wrote.
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“The story is that Israel stands accused by the International Criminal Court of committing genocide in Gaza, and so far — after over two years of innocent men, women and children being slaughtered — the only parties who’ve faced punishment are the victims themselves and critics of the state.”
Nine people, aged 19 to 67, were charged with offences including behaving in an offensive manner in a public place and resisting police after Monday night’s wild scenes.
Another six protesters were issued with court attendance notices for failing to comply with move-on directions.
Police could also face legal action after punching and pepper-spraying protesters.
“Civilians see this kind of violence so rarely in Australia, but when we do, it’s shocking,” University of Newcastle criminologist Justin Ellis said.
“Police are going to have to deal with any reputational fallout.”
Greens MP Abigail Boyd is considering her options, including legal action, after she was allegedly shoved by police. Others could also take the police to court or make formal complaints.
Videos posted on social media from the event showed a man with raised hands being punched repeatedly in the stomach by officers, while another depicted a group of Muslim men praying before being ripped from their knees and taken away by police.
Five members of the public were hospitalised.
The justice system can move in favour of protesters.
Former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas, who suffered a serious eye injury when she was arrested at a protest in 2025, had charges of resisting police dropped and an assault charge was laid against the constable who allegedly maimed her.
The violence has not deterred protesters in other parts of the country from taking to the streets in coming days as Herzog continues his Australian tour through Melbourne and Canberra.
During his two-day visit in Sydney, he met victims of the Bondi terrorist attack, students from Jewish schools and attended a ceremony at the Chabad of Bondi with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
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Demonstrators will gather on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday to speak out against Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Asked about the violent scenes in Sydney, ACT chief police officer Scott Lee said the territory’s force was trained to peacefully manage protests.
“Absolutely, I can provide you with that assurance,” he told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday about the prospect of police violence.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the assembly on Monday as a “volatile” crowd.
Minns defended the actions of police and pointed to strong relations between authorities and the Muslim community.
“NSW Police have had a strong and co-operative relationship with Sydney’s Islamic and Arabic community, going back decades,” he said.
“But context is important and the circumstances facing police were incredibly difficult … it was in effect in the middle of a riot.”
Minns criticised his MPs who attended Monday’s rally and called out some speakers for trying to march despite police restrictions.
Labor MP Sarah Kaine, who spoke on Monday, rejected any suggestion she had incited violence.
Police on Monday restricted movement along most of the boundary of the demonstration site, forcing thousands of protesters into a gridlock.
They issued a move-on order but the situation escalated as the densely packed crowd struggled to leave before officers rushed at protesters to try to disperse it.
Community worker Paula Abood said she was twice assaulted by police while trying to help other rally-goers who were being hit.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 40 years of marching the streets of Sydney,” she said.
Herzog was invited to Australia after the Bondi terrorist attack.
He has faced scrutiny over 2023 comments that a UN inquiry found might reasonably have been interpreted as inciting genocide against Palestinians.
He denies that claim and has said his comments were taken out of context.
-with AAP
