New video shows altercation before eye injury to Greens candidate

2 months ago 26

New video of an altercation between police and pro-Palestine activists in which a former Greens candidate sustained a serious eye injury shows a protester being grabbed after questioning what legislation officers were citing to issue move-on orders.

Protesters gathered outside SEC Plating, which they say supplies plating services for F-35 jets used by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), on Lakemba Street in Belmore on Friday.

Hannah Thomas, who stood for the Greens against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the seat of Grayndler at last month’s federal election, suffered an eye injury during a scuffle with police.

Video shows police telling the protesters they were being issued a move-on order, but failing to provide them with details, simply saying they needed to leave the suburb of Belmore “for 24 hours”.

Hannah Thomas is in Bankstown Hospital with a serious eye injury requiring surgery after she was arrested with four others at a pro-Palestine protest in Sydney’s south-west.

“You’re making shit up,” one protester said.

“If you’re not educated, go read something,” the male officer responded.

Activist Zack Schofield asked police to cite the legislation that empowers officers to issue move-on orders.

“Can you name it, please, because this is actually counter to LEPRA [the Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act],” he said.

In response, the male officer grabbed Schofield by the upper arm, pulling him away. A scuffle broke out between protesters and officers.

Five people, including Thomas, have been charged with a range of offences.

Questions have been raised about whether new powers aimed at stopping protests at places of worship were used to justify breaking up the demonstration.

The business the protesters were demonstrating against is opposite the Teebah Islamic Association Mosque on Lakemba Street in Belmore. A police fact sheet for one of the other protesters seen by the Herald cited a “place of worship” in a document describing the arrest.

NSW Police have maintained that the protesters were issued move-on orders for allegedly attempting to block pedestrian access to the business.

Greens MP Sue Higginson wrote to Premier Chris Minns on Monday morning demanding that all charges laid against the protesters be withdrawn.

Greens MP Sue Higginson (left) has demanded all charges laid against the protesters be withdrawn.

“There is now sufficient evidence in the public domain to confirm that the police have acted beyond the scope of their lawful powers,” she wrote.

“What occurred in Belmore was not policing – it was punishment. A member of our community was brutally assaulted by uniformed officers while engaging in peaceful political expression.”

Speaking at an event on Monday, Premier Chris Minns denied police used the new laws during the Belmore protest. He said he was sorry that Thomas was injured, but refused to condemn the actions of police while an investigation was ongoing.

“My understanding is [police were called] because there was a series of protests in front of a private business in the state, they are entitled to protest, but businesses in NSW are entitled to run their companies as well,” he said.

Premier Chris Minns has refused to condemn the actions of police while an investigation was ongoing.

“If we get to the point where it is the law to allow in all circumstances a private firm to be interrupted whenever and wherever a protest wants to take place, you’d appreciate that puts us and it puts police in a terrible position.”

On Sunday, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden decided against declaring a critical incident, which is defined as one involving a member of the police force that results in the death of, or serious injury to, a person and would require them to investigate.

McFadden said Thomas had denied requests to be interviewed by police and for access to medical information.

“There’s been no contact and no information about the nature of injury she’s actually sustained,” McFadden said, adding that while that is Thomas’ right, he could only make the critical incident decision based on the information available to him.

The police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, said police can delegate the commission power to declare a critical incident but had not provided paperwork to do so.

“The commission will gather further information about the events of Friday 27 June as part of its assessment of the complaint before making a decision on what action to take,” the spokesperson said.

The watchdog has previously accused police of “undermining” public confidence by refusing to hand over documents allowing it to investigate critical incidents.

Speaking from her hospital bed on Sunday evening after undergoing eye surgery, Thomas blamed “draconian protest laws” for her injury.

“I look like this now because of Chris Minns and Yasmin Catley and their draconian anti-protest laws and their attempts to demonise protesters, especially protesters for Palestine. They’ve emboldened the police to crack down with extreme violence and brutality, and they were warned that those laws would lead to this outcome,” she said.

The 35-year-old was charged with hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty, and refusing/failing to comply with a direction to disperse. She will appear at Bankstown Local Court on August 12.