Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at Sydney’s Town Hall on Thursday evening to voice their anger at the historic visit to Australia by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the 650-strong crowd, many waved placards and flags and chanted as they moved down Pitt Street and through the central business district as a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Riot police intervened amid tension between different groups. Officers quickly removed a man who approached the crowd yelling “long live Israel”.

ABC reporter Jade Macmillan said the protest was told Australia was “embarrassing itself” by “rolling out the welcome mat” for the Israeli leader.

The rally was organised by Sydney’s Palestine Action Group, which accused Netanyahu of being a war criminal and criticised Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and foreign minister Julie Bishop for the government’s “continued support for Israel’s illegal occupation and war crimes against the Palestinian people”.