NSW police pepper spray protesters at Sydney rally opposing Isaac Herzog’s visit

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Jordyn Beazley and Cait KellyFebruary 9, 2026 at 11:32 AM

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long article 4 min

Protests occurred in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit, which began Monday. Thousands gathered in Sydney, where speakers like Grace Tame and Senator Mehreen Faruqi addressed the crowd. Demonstrators attempted to march, defying state laws enacted after the Bondi attack, leading to clashes with police. NSW police pepper-sprayed protesters attempting to march, and scuffles broke out, resulting in detentions. A NSW Labor backbencher alleged excessive force by police, including punching and throwing people to the ground. Similar protests took place in Melbourne, where police also appeared to use pepper spray.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Israel 40% Mehreen Faruqi 40% Town Hall ×240% Melbourne 50% Victoria Police 50% Grace Tame ×260% Anthony D'Adam ×360% Sydney ×370% New South Wales Police ×480% Isaac Herzog ×290%

Keywords

protest 100% police 90% pepper spray 80% isaac herzog 70% sydney 60% nsw 60% police violence 50% demonstrators 50% state law 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Sydney

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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