Australian PM 'devastated' by violence at rally against Israel president's visit

SYDNEY, Feb 10: Australia's Prime Minister said Tuesday he was "devastated" by scenes of clashes at a Sydney rally against a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog but defended the police's actions against protesters.

Herzog's tightly secured, four-day trip aims to console Australia's Jewish community after the December shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah festival.

But chaos erupted on Monday evening in the heart of Australia's largest city as police tried to prevent a rally from marching into an area designated off-limits.
Law enforcement hit protesters and members of the media, including AFP. �"AFP