A New South Wales police officer has been charged with assault after a pro-Palestinian protester alleged she was punched in the face during a demonstration in Sydney earlier this year — an incident that has raised fresh questions about policing of dissent in Australia.
The protester, Hannah Thomas, a former Greens party candidate, was among dozens who gathered outside SEC Plating in the suburb of Belmore in late June. Activists accused the manufacturer of supplying parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel’s military, a claim the company has denied.
Police declared the demonstration unauthorized and ordered the group to disperse. What followed, according to Thomas, was a violent clash. The 35-year-old was arrested and later taken to hospital with facial injuries severe enough to require surgery. She has since said she feared losing permanent vision in her right eye.
The 33-year-old senior constable accused of striking her now faces a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His employment is under review while a broader “critical incident” investigation — a process automatically triggered when police actions result in death or serious injury — continues. He is scheduled to appear in court in November.
Initially, Thomas herself faced charges, including resisting police and refusing to comply with an order to disperse. But prosecutors dropped the case earlier this month, and a magistrate awarded her roughly A$22,000 in legal costs.
Outside court, her lawyer Peter O’Brien said the legal victory was only the beginning. He confirmed plans to bring civil proceedings in the New South Wales Supreme Court against the police, citing allegations of malicious prosecution, assault, battery, and abuse of process. “The long-term impact on her right eye is still uncertain,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The case has placed renewed scrutiny on the handling of pro-Palestinian protests across Australia, where tensions have risen since the Gaza war began in 2023. Activists argue that police have too often used force to silence dissent, while law enforcement maintains it is balancing the right to protest with public order and safety.
For Thomas, the courtroom battles may continue, but her lawyer says the larger issue is whether citizens can raise their voices without fear of being harmed by those sworn to protect them.
Africa Digital News, New York
