Sydney, Australia. Australian leaders urged calm on Tuesday and called for peaceful protests after clashes between police and demonstrators opposing Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit erupted in Sydney. Police said 27 people were arrested after violence broke out as officers moved to clear thousands of protesters near Sydney’s town hall.
Arrests and allegations after protest dispersal
New South Wales police said 27 people were arrested, including 10 for allegedly assaulting officers, after violence broke out on Monday evening when police moved in to clear the crowd. Protesters, including an opposition lawmaker, said on Tuesday they had been assaulted by officers.
There were no reports of serious injuries, New South Wales state police said in a statement.
Government calls for peaceful expression
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was “devastated” by the violence and urged protesters to express their views peacefully.
“Australians want two things. They don’t want conflict brought here. They want killing to stop, whether it’s Israelis or Palestinians, but they do not want conflict brought here,” Albanese told radio station Triple M.
“The causes are not advanced by these sorts of scenes – they are undermined.”
Protest context and police powers
Thousands gathered in central Sydney on Monday to protest against Herzog’s visit to Australia, which comes after a mass shooting at a Jewish religious event at Bondi Beach in December that killed 15 people.
Police had been authorised to use rarely invoked powers during the protest, including directing crowds to move, restricting their entry to certain areas and searching vehicles. A legal challenge to those restrictions was dismissed by a Sydney court on Monday. Herzog was not present at the protest site.
Television footage showed some protesters trying to push through blockades as officers forced them back, while some were seen lying on the ground as police tried to restrain them.
How do you think authorities and protest organisers can reduce the risk of violence at future demonstrations?
