Protesters charged, anger over ‘brutal’ police response

Nine protesters face criminal charges, and the actions of police are under scrutiny after violent clashes at a rally against the Israeli president’s visit.

Nine protesters have been charged after a rally against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia devolved into chaos.

Thousands of demonstrators at Sydney’s Town Hall were met by a hulking police presence, with some pepper-sprayed, arrested, beaten and shoved by officers on Monday night.

Police arrested 27 people and nine had been charged as of Tuesday afternoon.

Ranging from 19 to 67 years of age, they were charged with offences including behaving in an offensive manner in a public place and resisting a police officer.

Police are in the process of issuing court attendance notices to an additional six protesters for failing to comply with a move-on direction.

Social media videos posted from the event showed a man with raised hands being repeatedly punched 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.

Australia’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia Aftab Malik said the police response included “unprovoked violence and aggression”, describing it as “a very dark night”.

Premier Chris 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.”

Mr Minns criticised his own MPs who attended the rally and called out some speakers for attempting to march despite police restrictions.

Labor MP Sarah Kaine, who spoke at the rally, rejected any suggestion she had incited violence.

“I don’t think it’s helpful for police or anyone else in high office to be making allegations like that,” she told AAP.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the assembly as a “volatile” crowd.

Greens MP Abigail Boyd said her assault by three police officers dispelled notions the response was proportionate.

“I got this almighty shove from my right and I went flying, lifted off the ground … and then this one copper just punched me as I was trying to get my balance,” she told AAP just hours after returning from hospital.

“I only weigh 60 kilos, I’m only five foot three, I don’t understand why they were attacking me. I’d said I was a member of parliament.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, it was so brutal.”

Officers restricted movement along most of the boundary of the demonstration site, forcing the large group into a gridlock as protesters’ chants grew louder and the police presence swelled.

Police issued a move-on order but the situation escalated as the densely packed crowd struggled to leave before officers rushed at protesters in an attempt to disperse the group.

Community worker Paula Abood said she was assaulted by police on two occasions while trying to aid 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.

Mr Herzog was invited to Australia after the Bondi terror attack.

He has faced scrutiny over 2023 comments which a UN inquiry found might reasonably have been interpreted as inciting genocide against Palestinians.

The president denies that claim and says his comments were taken out of context.

An undeterred Mr Herzog continued his tour on Tuesday, visiting Jewish school Moriah War Memorial College in Sydney’s east.