SYDNEY, NSW — February 9, 2026 — Thousands of demonstrators converged on Sydney’s CBD today, chanting “Let us march” as they defied unprecedented police restrictions to protest the official visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group (PAG), transformed Town Hall into a sea of flags and placards. The atmosphere remained tense as protesters challenged the “major event” status granted to the visit—a legal designation that stripped citizens of their usual right to march through city streets, confining the protest to a stationary assembly.
Clash Over Civil Liberties
The headline cry of the afternoon, “Let us march,” became a rallying point for both pro-Palestinian advocacy and civil liberty concerns. Following a failed 11th-hour Supreme Court challenge to overturn special police powers, the march was technically prohibited.
- Heightened Security: NSW Police deployed hundreds of officers, including riot squad units, to enforce a “red zone” around the President’s suspected locations.
- The Stand-Off: Despite the legal barriers, a large contingent of the crowd attempted to move toward Hyde Park, leading to brief scuffles and several arrests for “failing to comply with police directions.”
- The Message: Organizers argued that the restriction of movement was a “dangerous precedent” designed to shield President Herzog from the visual and audible reality of public dissent.
A Divided Response
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese framed the visit as an essential gesture of solidarity following the events of late 2025, speakers at the Sydney rally offered a starkly different perspective.
“We are told this is a visit of peace, but you do not bring peace by silencing the voices of those witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe,” said a spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group. “By banning our march, the government is choosing to prioritize the comfort of a foreign leader over the democratic rights of its own people.”
The Sydney march is the first in a planned series of “Days of Action” across the country. As President Herzog moves toward his scheduled engagements in Canberra, local organizers have pledged that the “Let Us March” movement will follow him to the steps of Parliament House.