On the ground at the Herzog protests

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bondi and laid a wreath, as a rally in Sydney turned violent as protesters and police clashed.
Feb 10, 2026, updated Feb 10, 2026

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has arrived in Sydney for a four-day visit to Australia, invited in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack in December.

On Monday, Herzog visited Bondi and laid a wreath to honour the 15 people killed in the attack. 

At the same time, pro-Palestinian protestors gathered in Sydney’s CBD to oppose the visit – after organisers launched a Supreme Court challenge to the NSW government’s decision to declare the visit a “major event”, a move that activates special police powers in the city. 

It comes on top of the broader protest restrictions NSW introduced after Bondi – which the government says are about community safety in the wake of a terrorist incident.

Civil liberties groups argue the restrictions tilt too much power toward police discretion and make political protest more difficult.

Today, 7am speaks with protestors at the Sydney march and NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Tim Roberts on the new limits being placed on protest in NSW – and across the country.

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