Thousands rally in Australia against Israeli president's visit as police use pepper spray

Herzog’s four-day visit has been framed by officials as a show of solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following the December shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead.

He faced protests in Australia’s two largest cities on Monday evening, with a Sydney rally turning violent as police used pepper spray against protesters and journalists.

Palestine Action Group spokesman Josh Lees said on Instagram that police had "repeatedly charged us with horses and pepper spray."

In Sydney, thousands gathered in the central business district, listening to pro-Palestine speeches and chanting slogans.

"The Bondi massacre was terrible, but from our Australian leadership there’s been no acknowledgment of the Palestinian people and the Gazans," said Jackson Elliott, a 30-year-old protester from Sydney.

"Herzog has dodged all the questions about the occupation and says this visit is about Australia-Israel relations, but he is complicit," Elliott added.

Crowds also gathered in central Melbourne demanding an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

The New South Wales government invoked new powers, granting police greater authority to control demonstrations ahead of the rally.

Protesters’ attempt to challenge those powers in the state’s Supreme Court failed shortly before the event began, according to local media.

Alleged Bondi Beach gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.

His 24-year-old son, Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders.

Some Jewish Australians also protested the visit, with the progressive Jewish Council of Australia saying Herzog was not welcome because of his role in the "ongoing destruction of Gaza."

The UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry found last year that Herzog could be liable for prosecution for inciting genocide after he said all Palestinians, "an entire nation," were responsible for the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation launched by Hamas in the occupied territories. The operation was launched in response to Israel's intensified atrocities against Palestinians.