Fresh protests in Melbourne as Herzog wraps up Australia visit
Demonstrators rally on the final day of the Israeli president’s trip, capping a week of nationwide protests and clashes that have exposed deep divisions over Gaza.
Pro-Palestine protesters are set to take to the streets in Melbourne on Thursday as Israeli President Isaac Herzog concludes his four-day visit to Australia, following earlier demonstrations in Canberra and violent confrontations by police in Sydney.
The visit, extended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the deadly December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach, has sparked heated debate across the country.
Critics accuse Herzog of complicity in Israel’s military aggression in Gaza, pointing to findings by a UN Commission of Inquiry that alleged Israeli officials incited genocidal acts — accusations Israel has strongly rejected as “scandalous” and false.
“Our message to all Australians is simple: the time to march is now,” said Jasmine Duff, co-convener of Students for Palestine, which is organising Thursday’s rally near a major Melbourne train station. “For all the Palestinians who have been killed, for all those still alive but starving.”
Graffiti discovered at the University of Melbourne calling for Herzog’s death has been referred to the police. Authorities said there was no evidence linking it to the planned protests.
Police tear gas, pepper spray protestors
Herzog, who visited Sydney and Canberra earlier in the week, said Australia was experiencing “frightening” levels of anti-Semitism, but stressed that most Australians sought peace and dialogue. He dismissed accusations of genocide as “a lie.”
Tensions boiled over in Sydney on Monday when clashes between police and demonstrators led to 27 arrests.
Officers deployed tear gas and pepper spray to disperse crowds in the central business district after both sides accused each other of assault.
The protests underscore the polarising impact of the Gaza war far beyond the Middle East, with Australia now facing its own reckoning over free speech, public order and rising community tensions.