‘We'll keep protesting': Former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas charged after unauthorised protest, accuses police of ‘brutality'
Former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas has accused NSW Police of 'extreme violence and brutality' after sustaining facial injuries at an unauthorised protest.
Ms Thomas, who challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the federal election, was charged with resisting arrest after participating in an anti-Israel rally on Friday.
She was taken to hospital with facial injuries and has undergone surgery amid fears she may lose vision in her right eye.
After being charged for not complying with police directions, Ms Thomas posted on social media, claiming she was engaged in a peaceful protest.
'I don't want to get into too much detail about the traumatic events on Friday, but I'm five foot one. I weigh about 45 kilos,' Ms Thomas said in the video.
'I was engaged in peaceful protest and my interactions with New South Wales police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye permanently.
'I look like this now because of (NSW Premier) Chris Minns and (Police Minister) Yasmin Catley and their draconian anti-protest laws.
'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.'
Ms Thomas said her injuries were 'nothing' compared to what the people of Gaza have gone through 'because of Israel'.
'Children being amputated without anaesthetic, people starving or getting shot lining up for food — that's why we protested on Friday and that's why we'll keep protesting.'
NSW Police has confirmed that Ms Thomas had been charged with 'hinder or resist police officer' and 'refuse or fail to comply with direction to disperse'.
'The 35-year-old woman was issued a Future Court Attendance Notice,' police said in a statement.
'During the 35-year-old woman's arrest, she sustained facial injuries and was taken to Bankstown Hospital for treatment, where she remains.
'She will appear at Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday 12 August 2025.'
Video footage circulating online shows scuffles between police officers and demonstrators during the protest, which was not authorised by authorities.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Sky News that while the injuries were 'obviously serious', the protest had not been lawfully coordinated with authorities.
'When people were asked to move on by the police they should have followed the police direction. Apparently they didn't,' he said.
'The issue of the injury will be dealt with by the police review but for anyone wanting to have a protest, you know, no one's above the law.'
Greens politicians have called for an independent investigation into the police response.
NSW Greens justice spokesperson Sue Higginson described the arrest as 'brutal and excessive'.
'I have spoken with the people in police custody this morning in my legal capacity, and they cannot believe what they saw happen to the individual,' she said.
'Anyone watching knows it's wrong that police are violently arresting those calling for an end to genocide,' federal Greens senator David Shoebridge said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Very frightening': Glastonbury crowd chants anti-Israel slogans
Executive Council of Australian Jewry President Daniel Aghion KC reacts to an anti-Israel chant performed at Glastonbury. 'It's very frightening, that chant then became an echo because it was repeated in the pro-Gaza protest in Melbourne this Sunday,' he told Sky News host Steve Price. 'It's gone around the world, and it's gone local here.'


SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Former Greens candidate may lose vision in right eye after protest injury
Former Greens candidate may lose vision in right eye after protest injury Published 30 June 2025, 8:40 am A critical incident has been declared by New South Wales police following the injury of a former Greens candidate during an unauthorised pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney's south west. Five people, including federal election candidate Hannah Thomas, were charged following the incident. She's now accusing the New South Wales Premier of enacting draconian anti-protest laws, and empowering state violence. A warning that this story contains images some viewers may find distressing.

Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Sky News host Danica De Giorgio reacts after Trump pollster revealed US President ‘doesn't like' Ambassador Kevin Rudd
Sky News host Danica De Giorgio has savaged Australia's Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd after Donald Trump's former pollster revealed the President 'doesn't like' him. On Monday, renowned US pollster Brent Buchanan told Sky News Australia Mr Rudd's presence in Washington was the reason Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been unable to schedule a face-to-face meeting with the US President. 'I think he doesn't like the current ambassador, and that's one of the biggest issues,' Mr Buchanan said. 'Donald Trump needs to find an Australian that he likes - or Australia needs to find an Australian that Donald Trump likes and let that person take point - because so much with Donald Trump is personal relationships.' De Giorgio questioned why Trump would 'bother' to meet Mr Albanese after Ambassador Rudd called Trump a 'village idiot' and a 'traitor to the West'. 'I mean, no wonder Trump did not bother to meet with Albo this month in Canada. Why would he bother?' De Giorgio said. De Giorgio said Australia's relationship with the US was on 'shaky grounds' and largely blamed Ambassador Rudd and the Prime Minister's hesitance to meet with the President. 'Kevin Rudd is the problem,' she said. Earlier, Mr Buchanan said Mr Rudd was critical in opening doors to the Trump administration for "certain countries", flagging Australia was struggling to establish a direct line with the President due to Rudd's previous scathing commentary. 'But Donald Trump's a deal maker, and so if you bring a deal, he's going to talk through it,' he said. Mr Buchanan said that the one positive for Rudd was that he's a China expert, which was 'a great opportunity to build relationships with our Congress ... which is anti-China'. The Sky News host said the calls for Mr Albanese to meet with the US President did not just come from voices in Australia, but from the Capitol in Washington as well. Two senior US lawmakers, Republican Michael McCaul and Democrat Joe Courtney, have issued a bipartisan plea for the Prime Minister to prioritise a White House visit. The pair said President Trump valued one-on-one visits and his style of diplomatic relations hinged on face-to-face talks, given his background as a businessman and dealmaker. 'For [Albanese] to come to the White House would be a great gesture on the prime minister's part, that I think would go over very well,' McCaul said in an interview. 'That would be very sound advice for him to do that.'