By Alex Mitchell and Farid Farid in Sydney
Ugly scenes at a protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog – where an MP was allegedly assaulted – were devastating and amounted to “a riot”, leaders say.
Demonstrators were pepper sprayed, arrested, beaten and shoved by police as they gathered at Sydney Town Hall on Monday evening to protest Mr Herzog’s arrival in the harbour city earlier that day.
One video shared on social media shows a group of Muslim men praying before being ripped from their knees and taken away by police, while another showed a man with raised hands being repeatedly punched in the stomach by officers.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the full context needed to be taken into account as he defended relations between authorities and the Muslim community.
“The truth of the matter is, NSW police have had a strong and co-operative relationship with Sydney’s Islamic and Arabic community, going back decades,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“But context is important and the circumstances facing NSW police was incredibly difficult. It was in effect in the middle of a riot.”
The premier also took aim at his own MPs who attended the rally, vowing not to change his political agenda as he called out some speakers for attempting to march despite police restrictions.
Labor MP Sarah Kaine, who spoke at the rally, rejected the premier’s implication that representatives were trying to whip up protesters.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the assembly as a “volatile” crowd.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the scuffles that broke out were disheartening, but he emphasised that police had been clear prior to the rally about its geographic limits.
“I’m devastated by these scenes, these are really scenes that I think shouldn’t be taking place,” he told radio station Triple M.
“The causes are not advanced by these sort of scenes – indeed they’re undermined.”
But Greens MP Abigail Boyd said her assault by three police officers near a group of people in prayer 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.”
Organisers had hoped to march through the Sydney city centre, but a last-minute court decision upheld the police’s ability to restrict protests and scuppered plans.
As the Town Hall demonstration drew to an end, the protesters moved towards an opening in the police cordon, with some trying to leave and others calling on the hundreds of surrounding officers to let them march.
Officers restricted movement along most of the square’s mouth, 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.
Dr Paula Abood, a community worker, 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.
Police said 27 people were arrested, including 10 for assaulting officers.
Mr Herzog, whose prior comments a UN inquiry found might reasonably have been interpreted as inciting genocide against Palestinians, was invited to Australia by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after December’s Bondi massacre.
He visited the scene of the terror attack on Monday and is set to attend more community events on Tuesday.
Asked on Monday, if he had a message to protesters, he said the demonstrations “undermine and delegitimise” Israel’s existence.
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