Protesters are heading to court to fight for their right to demonstrate against what a senior federal minister has admitted is a “controversial” Australian visit by the Israeli president.
Isaac Herzog will begin his Australian tour on Monday, meeting politicians, Jewish leaders and the families of the Bondi massacre victims.
Rallies have been organized in capitals across the country, with police in Sydney pledging to take tough action against unauthorized protests.
But protest organizers Palestine Action Group have announced an urgent challenge to the NSW Supreme Court after Premier Chris Minns formally declared the visit a major event, giving police extra powers to block the movement in the city centre.
“We are once again taking Chris Minns to court … he has imposed sweeping search, exclusion and conduct restrictions in our city in an effort to clamp down on dissent,” group spokesman Josh Lees said Sunday.
“Rather than defending human rights, the NSW government is using emergency powers to shield a visiting head of state from public scrutiny and accountability.”
The group will lodge its objection and request an urgent hearing on Monday morning, arguing the powers are excessive, unjustified and unlawful.
Police have negotiated with protesters and asked them to change their route outside a restricted area through the heart of Sydney.
The protesters have rejected that request and insist they will gather at Sydney Town Hall before marching to the NSW Parliament.
Police were concerned about the potential for conflict between officers and protesters, although organizers had made “great efforts” to emphasize their desire for a peaceful event, Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese invited Herzog to visit in the aftermath of the anti-Semitic terror attack in December that killed 15 innocent people.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged the Israeli president’s presence in Australia was controversial but called for calm among angry protesters.
Together with human rights activists and the Greens, they have called for his invitation to be withdrawn because of his alleged culpability for the Israeli bombardment and the famine of Palestinians in Gaza.
“This visit is controversial and will raise a range of views, and some of those views will be strongly held,” Chalmers told ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
Herzog will not address parliament
Herzog, who serves a largely ceremonial role as his country’s head of state, would not address parliament during the visit, the government confirmed.
But opposition frontman Tim Wilson said the president should be invited to give a speech, accusing the government of “hiding” the visit despite the Albanians’ plan to accompany Herzog for part of the trip.
Herzog has also defended the tour against criticism, saying his visit is important for Australia’s Jewish community reeling from the attack.
He previously suggested that Palestinians bore collective blame for the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, before later clarifying his comments.
An investigative committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council concluded in September that the statement could reasonably have been interpreted as incitement to genocide.
Herzog has vehemently denied accusations that his comments amounted to incitement, saying they were taken out of context.
A number of legal experts have argued that Australian authorities are obliged under international law to investigate alleged war crimes when he arrives in the country.
The federal police have confirmed that Herzog will be protected from arrest and other legal proceedings during his visit under the immunity provisions of the Head of State.
The NSW Government’s special event, Public Safety Arrangements, will increase the number of police deployed during Herzog’s visit, while anyone who fails to comply with directions could face fines of up to $5,500.
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