Court challenge over march against Israeli president's visit to be decided at Monday morning hearing

A Court Challenge Over March Against Israeli President's Visit to be Decided at Monday Morning Hearing

The New South Wales government's decision to invoke "major event" powers during the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog is facing a court challenge. The Palestine Action Group, which plans to march from Sydney town hall to state parliament on Monday night, has sought to have its challenge heard before the special powers came into effect.

At an urgent hearing on Sunday evening, Justice Natalie Adams ruled that the group's challenge would be heard by Justice Robertson Wright at 10am on Monday. The court decision will determine whether the government's use of special powers is disproportionate and vague, as claimed by the Palestine Action Group.

The group's barrister, Mark Robinson SC, argued that Herzog's visit was not an appropriate event under the legislation, and that the invocation of major event powers was a breach of the public assembly restriction declaration. He submitted that the challenge be heard before midnight on Sunday to prevent police from constructing barricades preventing people from gathering at the town hall.

The NSW government has been granted leave to apply for a hearing later in the morning. The group plans to march despite a ban on protests under form 1, which would have authorized the authorisation of protests under that system but excludes Hyde Park.

Police are urging the group to relocate to Hyde Park and march to Belmore Park instead, saying it would "safely facilitate a peaceful protest on the streets of Sydney". The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has also urged respect and calm as the community prepares for Herzog's visit, which he described as a moment of profound significance.

The court challenge is just one of two ongoing legal challenges against the New South Wales government's anti-protest laws. A separate challenge by the group against the laws passed after the Bondi attack is also pending.

Police have stated that over 3,000 officers will be deployed across Sydney during Herzog's visit, with a significant police operation and potential protest activity expected. The Israeli president's visit has been welcomed by major Jewish organisations and federal and state governments, while Palestinian Australians plan to protest against the visit on Monday.

I just can't believe how this is all going down ... Remember when we used to have these huge protests back in 2010? We had some crazy stuff happen during Obama's visit . I mean, it was wild times. Anyway, where was I? Ah yeah, so the NSW government is trying to justify using special powers for Herzog's visit, but isn't that just like what they did with G20 back in 2008? Police are saying this march won't be a problem, but we've seen how things went down at those previous protests. I'm worried it'll get out of hand...

just heard about this court challenge over the march planned for Mon. feels like a bit of a mess. NSW gov's invoked "major event" powers without considering if they were really necessary . I mean, can't they see that protesting is a legit way to voice opinions and stand up for causes?

And honestly, who does 3k+ police officers think they are gonna keep everyone in line? it's Sydney, not some dystopian novel setting . I'm all for public safety, but come on, a bit of chaos can actually be a good thing – it brings people together and sparks change

Mark my words, this march is gonna happen with or without the gov's permission . And when it does, let's see how many ppl are willing to stand up for what they believe in

I think the NSW government is being super overcautious here ... like, they're basically creating a massive security bubble around the President without giving the Palestine Action Group much of a say . I get that there's gonna be protests and all, but can't we just have an open discussion about it instead of locking down the whole area? It's not fair to force people to move their protest to Hyde Park just 'cause the gov't says so ... what if they don't wanna go there? And what about free speech and assembly rights, anyway? Shouldn't we be promoting peaceful protests rather than trying to contain them? This whole thing is getting pretty heated...

I'm so stoked for this march tomorrow ! I mean, it's about time someone speaks up against those laws that are just too restrictive. The government's trying to control every little thing, you know? And it's not fair to the people who want to exercise their right to free speech and assembly. I'm all about peaceful protests, but when the powers that be try to silence us, something's gotta give . The fact that 3k cops are showing up is just ridiculous – don't they have anything better to do than police a bunch of people exercising their rights? And let's be real, this has nothing to do with security or safety – it's about control and oppression. We need to stand strong against that!

i'm not sure how this is gonna play out ... i mean, it's like the government is trying to balance security with freedom of speech, but at what cost? 3k cops deployed? that's a lot of overkill . and what about the march? will they get through to parliament without any issues? i'm hoping for a peaceful protest, but you can't blame ppl from being concerned . justice robertson wright is gonna have his hands full on monday morning . one thing's for sure, this visit is gonna be a wild ride

"Silence is often at its most violent."

The government's actions seem like a classic example of "when the going gets tough, the tough get going"... but are they really trying to protect the public interest or just avoiding accountability? The police plan for over 3,000 officers on duty, that's quite a show of force. The Palestinian Australians have every right to express their concerns and stage a peaceful protest. It'll be interesting to see how the court decides on Monday morning...

I don't usually comment but I think it's really messed up that there's gonna be like 3k cops deployed across Sydney . Like what if people wanna exercise their right to peaceful protest and express their opinions? Shouldn't they be able to do that without being surrounded by all those officers? The Palestine Action Group is just trying to make their voices heard, you know? And I think it's also pretty concerning that the NSW premier is calling for respect and calm, but what about when people are actually being silenced or intimidated into not speaking out?

Can you believe this is happenin' in 2025? Like literally just yesterday we're all thinkin about what's goin down with tech and now here's a whole situation with Israel and Palestine... What's the deal, NSW gov? Can't they see that everythin' is changin' so fast? And the fact that there's already two legal challenges against their anti-protest laws just shows how outdated and unfair they are. We need more open dialogue and less authoritarianism, you know? Mark Robinson SC's argument about the legislation bein' vague and disproportionate is low-key spot on in my book... And can we talk about how over 3k officers will be deployed? What a waste of resources... Meanwhile, people wanna protest and express themselves, but they gotta navigate all these hoops and red tape. It's time for some real change, fam!

so like what do u think? its all super confusing... if they dont hear the challenge before hercog arrives wont that just make it harder for people to protest? and wot about police depluying 3000 officers? thats crazy! doesnt seem fair 2 me they should let ppl protest but at least have a clear plan in place 4 emergency situations

I'm not sure why anyone would wanna march in front of the parliament when they could just chill at Hyde Park like the cops suggested. But I guess it's all about making a statement and stuff . The government is all like "major event" this and "proportional" that, but I think what really matters is how people feel about Herzog's visit. Some folks are hyped to meet him, while others are protesting because they're against Israel's actions in Palestine. It's a complex issue, for sure .

The thing is, the government wants to make sure everything goes smoothly during Herzog's visit, but that means there might be some restrictions on free speech and assembly. I get why they wanna keep the peace, but at the same time, people have the right to express their opinions and stand up for what they believe in .

I'm curious to see how it all plays out on Monday. Will the court rule in favor of the Palestine Action Group or will the government's special powers stay? Only time will tell .

idk why people are all worked up about israeli prez comin in lol it just another event. but seriously, can't we just let ppl protest without all this drama? 3k cops? that's crazy! and what's with the gov tryna restrict ppl from marchin at town hall? sounds like they're tryna keep somethin hidden . should be able to have a peaceful protest without all the police presence, u feel?

Ugh I'm really worried about what's gonna go down in Sydney on Monday . Like, I get that people are passionate about their politics, but a march could turn ugly real quick . I wish more ppl could see beyond the ideology and just talk to each other, ya know? It's always better to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue rather than confrontation. But hey, at least there's a court challenge gonna help figure out if the NSW gov's actions are fair or not . Hopefully, justice is served and everyone can go home safely tonight

I think both sides have legit concerns ... NSW gov is tryin' to keep things safe for everyone, but at the same time they're makin' some ppl feel like their rights are bein' trampled ... I mean, Israel's president comin' to Sydney, that's a big deal, but it doesn't mean we gotta lose sight of what's important ... let's all just try to listen to each other & figure out a way forward that works for everyone

"Be careful what you wish for." If the court decides that the NSW government's use of special powers is disproportionate and vague, it could lead to a massive mess and potentially escalate tensions between protesters and police. The fact that over 3,000 officers will be deployed across Sydney shows just how serious the situation is. Can we really afford to have such a heavy-handed approach?

Ugh I'm so stressed about this news! It sounds like there's gonna be a huge police presence in Sydney on Monday with over 3k officers deployed which is kinda scary . The Palestine Action Group is planning to march despite the ban on protests and they're not backing down, so fingers crossed it doesn't get too heated . I'm all for free speech and protest but at the same time, safety has to be a priority . I just hope justice Natalie Adams makes an informed decision about whether the government's use of special powers is fair or not . The NSW premier saying that Herzog's visit is a moment of "profound significance" doesn't sit well with me though - what about the other side of the story? Anyway, can't wait to see how this all plays out on Monday morning

I just saw this news yesterday but I'm way behind. So they're trying to stop some march in Sydney because of Israel's president visiting. It seems kinda unfair to me. They want to protect people's rights to protest, right? But at the same time, the police are worried about safety. Like, how can you have a peaceful protest if there's gonna be 3k cops everywhere? I don't get why they can't just find a compromise or something. And what's with the different laws and stuff? It all seems really confusing to me...

OMG, can you believe this ! The NSW gov't is trying to silence people with their "major event" powers, but I think it's super sketchy . They're basically telling Palestinians they can't even march from one spot to another without permission . And the fact that police are urging them to move to a different park just because it's not allowed under form 1 is totally ridiculous .

What's really concerning is that there are over 3,000 officers deployed and a huge police operation expected... this doesn't sound peaceful at all . I'm actually kinda worried about how this might go down on Monday night . The fact that the gov't is trying to restrict Palestinian Australians' right to protest raises some major questions about freedom of speech .

I think it's essential for us to stay calm and respectful, but also not back down when it comes to our rights to assemble peacefully . We should be supporting those who are standing up against these anti-protest laws, like the Palestine Action Group . Keep spreading awareness and using your voice!