Premier Jacinta Allan has urged protesters to be respectful as police prepare for a week of protests against a visit to Australia by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Allan said it marked a chance to stand united against antisemitism and backed the city to handle the pressures of Herzog’s expected visit on Thursday.
Herzog is due to arrive in Australia on Monday for a four-day visit where he will attend events in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
Major protests have been planned across the country, sparking a court battle in NSW that will be heard on Monday.
In Victoria, there are plans for a rally at Flinders Street Station at 5.30pm on Monday and another at Southern Cross Station at 3pm on Thursday.
Allan said Herzog’s visit was an important one for the state’s Jewish community following the mass shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in December in which 15 people died.
“I welcome President Herzog’s visit to Victoria,” Allan said. “It’s a significant moment for Australia’s largest Jewish community and an opportunity for us all to stand united against antisemitism.
“I expect there will be some disruption this week, but we can handle it, and I urge everyone to share their views respectfully.
“We have introduced tough anti-vilification laws and more powers for police.”
Victoria Police said they would maintain a highly visible presence in the city.
“Police are well-prepared for protest activity planned for Monday in Melbourne,” a spokeswoman said.
“There will be a highly visible police presence throughout the CBD to maintain public order and the safety of the community.
“Victoria Police respects the right for people to protest lawfully, however, we expect that they do so peacefully without impacting the broader community.”
Victoria Police have been tight-lipped about any additional security and community protections in place for when Herzog flies into Melbourne.
An enormous police presence is expected in NSW on Monday, with 500 officers working an additional 3000 shifts.
There, Premier Chris Minns has invoked rare police powers declaring a “major event area” across Sydney’s CBD and eastern suburbs.
Those powers are typically used to manage crowds at sporting events and give police additional powers to “close off” designated areas and order people to leave. Some city streets are already subject to traffic restrictions.
It is the first time the powers have been used for the visit of a foreign dignitary.
However, the declaration has angered the Palestine Action Group, which filed a legal challenge in the NSW Supreme Court on Sunday, arguing the legislation used to enact the major event powers was not suitable for protest activity. The matter will be heard by the court on Monday.
The group has planned a demonstration at Sydney’s Town Hall; about 5000 people are expected to attend.
Group spokesman Josh Lees said the legislation granted “extraordinary police powers” including stop and search, exclusion zones and restrictions on public conduct.
“[NSW Premier Chris Minns] is using powers meant for sporting events or cultural events to instead give himself and the NSW Police extraordinary and draconian powers to basically shut down our entire city in the interest of parading out a war criminal,” he said.
A United Nations commission of inquiry found Herzog and other Israeli officials were “liable to prosecution for incitement to genocide” for comments made after the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023.
Victorian Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said Herzog’s visit would highlight the contrast between the powers available to police in NSW and Victoria to move on protesters.
“We are going to see a comparison here in Victoria versus NSW when it comes to what laws are in place to protect Victorians during protests,” Battin said on Sunday.
“We had a terrorist attack here in our country and the Victorian Jewish community and the Australian Jewish community are hurting. They need support. What they don’t need on the streets is hate speech.”
Victorian Minister for Equality Vicki Ward said it would be up to police to make use of anti-vilification laws introduced after the December 2024 arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue, including criminal offences and potential jail terms for hate speech.
“We have got the strongest vilification laws in the nation,” she said.
Battin said these laws, which the opposition didn’t support in parliament, were not sufficient, and the Allan government should have introduced move-on laws like NSW.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday defended his decision to invite Herzog to Australia, acknowledging there were mixed views about his visit among the community.
“President Herzog is coming in the context of the devastating antisemitic terrorist attack that occurred at Bondi,” Albanese said. “The visit of President Herzog is to support the Jewish community at what has been a very difficult time.”
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