Twenty-five anti-Isaac Herzog protesters to face joint trial in Sydney

Downing Centre Local Court has set 25 people charged over a protest during Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Sydney for a joint trial, creating a single timetable for a case that is expected to run into mid-2027.

The acting deputy registrar listed a pre-trial hearing for March 8, 2027, and set the trial to begin on July 19, 2027. The hearing is expected to run for six weeks.

The case stems from a demonstration at Sydney Town Hall in February 2026, when protesters gathered during Herzog’s visit to Australia. About 30 people were originally charged, but charges against one person were later withdrawn.

The alleged offences include assaulting police, resisting arrest and failing to comply with move-on directions.

Trial timetable

Lawyers for the protesters argued the matters should be heard together because they share common legal and factual questions. The court accepted a joint trial process, meaning the 25 accused will now move through the case on the same schedule.

Police opposed the joint trial, arguing the matters involve significant witness complications and individual issues that would make a combined hearing difficult.

The timetable means the dispute will return to court well into 2027, keeping the criminal cases tied to a broader argument over what happened at the protest and how police responded.

Police conduct and protest powers

The legal stakes extend beyond the individual charges. The case is expected to test questions about whether the protest was authorised and whether police properly relied on a major event declaration during the operation.

Defence lawyers have argued the protest was authorised and that police prevented a lawful assembly. Police, by contrast, treated the demonstration as unauthorised under the protest restrictions then in force.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is separately investigating police conduct at the protest, adding another layer of scrutiny to the events at Sydney Town Hall.

Wider context

Herzog’s February 2026 visit to Australia prompted protests over Israel’s war in Gaza and drew wider political attention to policing powers at demonstrations.

The Sydney events later became part of a broader legal debate after a NSW protest restriction law linked to the post-Bondi security response was struck down as unconstitutional in April 2026.

Protesters have pointed to that ruling in their legal arguments, though its effect on the criminal proceedings will still be tested in court.

What happens next

The next listed step is the pre-trial hearing on March 8, 2027, when the court is likely to deal with case-management issues and further argument over the structure of the proceedings.

The main trial is scheduled to start on July 19, 2027 and is set to run for six weeks.

The outcome could affect not only the charges against the protesters but also the wider legal questions around protest rights, police powers and the response to the Sydney demonstration.