Woman, 69, in hospital with four broken vertebrae after interaction with police at Sydney Herzog protest

Jann Alhafny, a 69-year-old grandmother, sustained four broken vertebrae after an interaction with New South Wales Police during a protest against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Sydney on February 26, 2025. The incident occurred outside the Great Synagogue, where Alhafny was participating in a demonstration organized by the group 'Jews Against the Occupation' to criticize the Australian government’s hosting of the Israeli leader. According to Alhafny, she was allegedly pushed to the ground by officers amid a chaotic surge in the crowd, leading to her emergency hospitalization. From her hospital bed, Alhafny recounted the moments of the incident, describing a sense of panic as she fell onto the pavement. She detailed a fear of being trampled by the crowd or suffocating as the density of people increased around her during the police intervention. The elderly protester remains in the hospital, requiring significant medical care for the spinal fractures she sustained, sparking a debate regarding the proportionality of police force during civil demonstrations. The New South Wales Police Force has acknowledged that a woman was injured during the operation, noting that officers provided initial first aid before paramedics arrived. While the police have not yet released a full report on the specific physical contact that led to the fall, advocates and legal observers are calling for a transparent investigation into the protocols used to manage the crowd. The protest itself was part of a series of actions aimed at highlighting humanitarian concerns in Gaza and criticizing the official state visit as insensitive to the ongoing conflict. This incident has intensified existing tensions between pro-Palestinian activists and law enforcement in Australia. Legal representatives for Alhafny and civil liberties groups are currently reviewing video footage from the scene to determine if formal legal action or a police conduct complaint should be filed. The case highlights the physical risks faced by elderly activists in large-scale public demonstrations and the ongoing scrutiny of police tactics in managing sensitive political protests.