Hundreds defy NSW’s anti-protest laws in snap rally, Anthony Albanese urged to block Israeli President’s visit

Hundreds have defied NSW’s anti-protest laws in a snap rally demanding Anthony Albanese cancel the controversial visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Dozens of NSW Police are on standby near the protest on Friday night – the first pro-Palestine demonstration since the state’s tough laws curtailing public assembly following the Bondi Beach terror attack. Boasting about 300 attendees, many gathered peacefully and condemned the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s welcoming of Mr Herzog. The pro-Palestine protest is under a watchful eye by heavy police presence, with hundreds of protesters rallying for Anthony Albanese to cancel Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia. Jepke Goudsmit, from the activist group Jews Against the Occupation, addressed the crowd and described how Mr Albanese called the invitation an “act of solidarity” with the Jewish community. “Penny Wong called it a ‘good thing’,” Ms Goudsmit said. “I and all of us … against the occupation … call it an act of buckling into Zionist pressure.” The rally, which commenced at 6pm at Town Hall, the heart of Sydney CBD, aimed to repeal the anti-protest laws, prevent Isaac Herzog from visiting Australia, and immediately sanction Israel. Ms Goudsmit said Albanese was “betraying multicultural Australia” by welcoming Mr Herzog’s visit. She claimed a significant population of the country disagreed with Israel’s actions, which have been declared by the United Nations as a genocide. “By inviting Herzog to our shores, Albanese is betraying them and all of multicultural Australia that are standing up for Israel's innumerable victims,” Ms Goudsmit said. One protester told NewsWire that she hoped the Mr Albanese would reconsider his decision to let Herzog into Australia. “My hope would be that the Prime Minister who has said he is concerned about social and healing division would think long and heart about inviting a war criminal to Australia,” Julie Macken said. “So my hope is that he’ll reconsider that invitation because if he doesn’t, it will be profoundly hurtful to thousands of Australians,” she said. Another protester, Matte Rochford, 43, highlighted there was “no connection” between the events of the Bondi terror attack on December 14 and pro-Palestinian protests. He said he hoped the protest gave the general public “confidence” it is still acceptable to “stand up” for Palestine, claiming NSW Premier Chris Minns and Mr Albanese have tried to “smear” the pro-Palestine movement. “It’s two events. It’s simple. You have Jewish people, you have Palestinian people, you had 300,000 people, actually on the (Sydney) Harbour Bridge, and you have millions of people across the world,” he said. “What are they saying? Are they saying that Jews should die? No, they’re not”. “They’re pointing to is Israel, the state of Israel being a terrorist state, being an occupier, committing genocide in Gaza, which the whole world knows is happening. So where is the connection between what happened in Bondi?” It is understood the protest concluded shortly after 8:30pm without any arrests and remained peaceful. Israeli President’s visit Australia sparks mixed views Mr Herzog’s visit, which has no official date, has sparked mixed emotions — with mainstream Jewish organisations welcoming his visit while pro-Palestinian groups have said it would be a “grave moral failure”. Albanese said it was the “appropriate protocol” for Mr Herzog to visit the country after the Bondi anti-Semitic attack. He said the visit would allow Mr Herzog to “honour and remember victims of the Bondi antisemitic terrorist attack and provide support for Jewish Australians and the Australian Jewish community at this time”. The Zionist Federation (ZFA) supported the decision saying it provides “reassurance to a community living with fear”. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has said Israeli President Herzog’s potential visit to Australia is “a good thing”. “I think it is a good thing for President Herzog to come to Australia,” Ms Wong told Sky News Australia. “I’ll leave that for the Prime Minister to announce,” she said. Yet the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) — a progressive Jewish group, said the visit will “only inflame tensions”. Ohad Kozminsky, an executive member of the group which was founded after the October 7 attacks, did not support the visit for fears it will exacerbate division in his community.