Former Finance Worker Files Lawsuit Over Alleged Police Assault at Sydney’s Herzog Rally

On 9 February 2026, during a protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit, 56-year-old Derek Jones was filmed on George Street near Sydney Town Hall being seized and repeatedly punched by police as his wife stood nearby. Jones, wearing a ripped white shirt, suffered two broken ribs, a bruised lung and needed eight to ten weeks to recover. He says his hands were raised and his wife was screaming while officers dragged him forward and struck him in the chest and face.

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Jones has lodged a personal-injury claim in the New South Wales Supreme Court and seeks a judicial review to compel release of police orders. His solicitor, Mark Davis of XD Law, says the suit aims to identify the officers and consider criminal prosecution, not merely a settlement.

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After the Bondi Beach terror attack, the New South Wales government enacted a law banning protests in the central business district during summer. A court later ruled the measure unconstitutional for breaching the implied right to freedom of political communication. Police have since reviewed 26 charges laid after the Herzog rally.

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Premier Chris Minns said police body-worn footage would be examined and warned against judging actions from brief social-media clips, noting that full context shows officers repeatedly confronted and protesters attempted to breach police lines. NSW Police said they could not verify the video’s subject.

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Jones and his counsel argue the force was “unprovoked, unwarranted, excessive, crazy” and call for criminal charges. He expressed frustration at public figures who seemed to justify police conduct and noted ongoing psychological effects.

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Police have not confirmed the video’s subject, while Jones’s account describes multiple punches. The protest-ban law’s unconstitutionality is clear, but the orders directing officers at the rally remain undisclosed.

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• “I was assaulted,” — Derek Jones, plaintiff

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• “They didn’t need to behave in the way they did.” — Derek Jones

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• “It’s important that people not judge the actions of police on 10- or 15-second social media posts.” — Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales

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• “When you see the full context, many people will draw the opposite conclusion, and that is that police were repeatedly confronted. People were attempting to breach police lines.” — Chris Minns

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The Supreme Court case will determine liability and may compel disclosure of operational directives. The judicial review could prompt further scrutiny of the protest-ban law’s implementation and lead to disciplinary or criminal proceedings against the officers.

The Guardian