Australia’s prime pinister said on Tuesday, February 10th, he was “devastated” by scenes of clashes at a Sydney rally on Monday against a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, yet he defended the police’s actions against protesters.
Herzog’s tightly secured four-day trip aims to console Australia’s Jewish community following the December shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people at a Hanukkah festival.
Chaos erupted on Monday evening in the heart of Australia’s largest city as police attempted to prevent a rally from marching into a designated off-limits area.
Asked about the incident, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told local radio he was “devastated” to witness the violence.
“These are really scenes that I think shouldn’t be taking place … People should be able to express their views peacefully, but the police were very clear about the routes that were required if people wanted to march.”
