Good afternoon.
Chris Minns has defended the actions of police at a Sydney rally against Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit after video footage emerged showing officers repeatedly punching protesters.
The NSW premier on Tuesday rejected suggestions his own anti-protest restrictions had created what he deemed to be an “impossible situation” for police dealing with thousands of protesters outside Sydney’s Town Hall.
Anthony Albanese in question time defended Herzog’s invitation and urged Australia to “turn the temperature down” after the Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown said Herzog’s visit had “undermined unity and social cohesion”.
NSW police charged nine people involved in Monday’s protest. Further protests are expected in Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday night.
Top news
Parents of Melbourne methanol-poisoning victims ‘shocked’ by $185 fines handed to Laos hostel staff
South Korean crypto exchange races to recover US$40bn of bitcoin sent to customers by mistake
US judges dismiss lawsuits accusing Neil Gaiman of sexual assault
Actor Catherine O’Hara died of a blood clot in her lungs, death certificate says
In pictures
A cat makes its way through a room of drying incense sticks in this highlight from Guardian picture editors’ selection of the best photographs from around the world.
What they said …
***
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.”
Donald Trump has threatened to block a bridge connecting the US and Canada, blaming Barack Obama for “stupidly” approving the project that Trump had himself endorsed in 2017.
Full Story
Punched, pepper sprayed, charged: police accused of brutality at Sydney protests
Last night tens of thousands of people gathered in cities across Australia to protest against a visit by Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog.
Outside the Sydney Town Hall in the CBD it wasn’t long before the protest turned violent, with video footage showing police pepper-spraying, charging and dragging protesters – including Muslim worshippers who were kneeling in prayer. Nine people have been charged after the clashes with police, with police saying more charges are expected to be laid.
Guardian reporter Jordyn Beazley was there, and tells Nour Haydar when the protest turned violent and whether it all could have been avoided.
Before bed read
“We call them incels now,” says Paul Schrader of Travis Bickle, the protagonist of Taxi Driver. The screenwriter behind Martin Scorsese’s incendiary New York nightmare discusses the inspiration and legacy of the film, released 50 years ago on Sunday.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PAIN. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
