Tens of thousands of people joined protests across the country on February 9 to oppose the arrival of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is visiting at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Huge crowds in at least 30 cities and towns said Herzog was “not welcome” and called for his arrest for his complicity in the genocide and mass slaughter of more than 70,000 people in Gaza.
Herzog was one of several Israeli leaders accused by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry of “direct and public incitement to commit genocide”.
Chants of “Arrest Herzog” and “Herzog to the ICC [International Criminal Court]” were heard at protests across the country.
More than 30,000 protesters in Gadigal Country/Sydney had to protect themselves from extreme police violence, including OC spray, kettling and physical assaults, reports Isaac Nellist.
Hundreds of NSW Police and riot squad officers were deployed to intimidate and control the crowd. Police flew two helicopters over the protest, seemingly in an attempt to drown out speeches.
Sydney Town Hall Square, which holds around 30,000 people was close to full, but police prevented more people from joining the protest. They were forced to stand on pavements near-by.
The rally heard from speakers including First Nations activist Lizzie Jarrett, former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, anti-Zionist Jewish journalist Antony Lowenstein, NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Dunghutti man and deaths in custody activist Paul Silva, Mohamed Duar from Amnesty International, Palestinian activist Raneem Emad and NSW Labor MLC Sarah Kaine from Labor Friends of Palestine. It was chaired by Palestine Action Group (PAG) spokespeople Amal Nasser and Josh Lees.
Jarrett and Silva spoke about the genocide of First Nations people and the need for solidarity between oppressed groups. They condemned the police presence and pointed to the record numbers of Black deaths in police custody last year.
Tame led a chant of “Globalise the Intifada”, which the Minns government is likely to proscribe as hate speech. At 6pm, protesters joined a coordinated nationwide chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which the Queensland Liberal National Party government announced earlier in the day it was going to ban.
Lowenstein said that while Albanese claimed Herzog’s visit was called for by the Jewish community, many Jews do not support Israel and its genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza.
Because of the NSW Premier Chris Minns' undemocratic anti-protest restrictions, many wanted to march and some started chants of “We will march!” and “Whose streets? Our streets!”
That day PAG's NSW Supreme Court challenge to Minn's decision to grant special event powers to police lost.
Some of the crowd assembled on George Street, while the rally was happening and negotiations for a march were taking place. But police blocked the road, preventing anyone from leaving.
They then began violently picking people out of the crowd and arresting them. They brought forward the mounted police unit to push the crowd back and began indiscriminately spraying the crowd with OC spray.
Police attacked a group of Muslim people who were praying, and footage shows officers repeatedly punching protesters who they had already restrained.
Protesters stuck together and slowly retreated back to Bathurst Street, with many needing medical treatment from the OC spray burning their eyes and throat.
Some people began marching the other way, down George Street towards Central Station, chanting “Arrest Herzog” and “Too many coppers, never any justice”. Videos show police chasing them down.
At least 27 people were arrested and hundreds, if not thousands, impacted by OC spray. At least one protester, a woman in her 80s, was hospitalised, and Greens MLC Abigail Boyd was put in a neck brace.
PAG has called a protest outside the Surry Hills Police Station on February 10 to condemn the police violence and demand Minns resign.
In Magan-djin/Brisbane, Remah Naji opened a mass outdoor media conference with the words: "From the river to the sea; Palestine will be free", before a 3000+ strong protest against Herzog, reports Alex Bainbridge.
These words were an answer to Queensland Premier David Crisafulli's announcement that the Liberal National Party intends to ban Palestine freedom slogans.
Greens MP Michael Berkman and Jewish community member Ed Carroll denounced these attempts to criminalise words.
Markela Panegyres reports that more than 2000 people in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide made a clear statement against genocidal Israel’s president: Herzog is not welcome, and war criminals should be arrested, not feted.
The Adelaide Friends Of Palestine Association’s (AFOPA) Crista Christaki led the crowd in chants of “From the river to the sea; Herzog to the ICC”.
Jeannie Lucas, also from AFOPA, read a poem by a Palestinian poet titled “No red carpet for Herzog”.
The rally also heard from Ahmed Ahzar from the SA Socialists, Stasi Kepanatos from Trade Unionists for Palestine SA and Mike Khizam from AFOPA.
Many unionists supported the rally, including representatives of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, Maritime Union of Australia, Australian Metal Workers Union, Construction Forestry Maritime Employees Union and Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union.
Nick Fredman reports that more than 500 people rallied in Lismore — the largest solidarity action there since the genocide began.
Speakers included Lachlan Hall from Labor Friends of Palestine, Nick Fredman from Socialist Alliance, Jewish academic and veteran anti-Zionist activist Annie Pfingst, Luke Robinson from the Greens and Gaza Flotilla participant Surya McEwan.
There was a large turnout at the Townsville protest, reports Carly Sheil. Protesters showed they would not be complicit in hate and genocide.
About 150 joined the protest in Bathurst, reports Kaat DeMaere, including some who drove two-hour round trips to get there. More said they would have joined if mainstream media had reported on it beforehand.
Almost 200 people joined the Coffs Harbour protest against Herzog’s visit, report Ben Radford and Brian Mahony. There were a lot of honks of support from passing vehicles, especially truckies.
About 500 people joined the Muloobinba/Newcastle rally against Herzog, reports Steve O’Brien.
Gimuy/Cairns had one of the biggest anti-genocide protests outside Labor MP Matt Smith's office, reports Carine Visschers.
More than 1000 people joined the protest in nipaluna/Hobart on February 9.
