NSW Police will be investigating how former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas sustained an injury during her arrest at an anti-Israeli protest last week after it was officially declared a critical incident.
Last Friday, Thomas — who ran against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Grayndler — suffered a serious facial injury when she was arrested during a protest outside SEC Plating in Sydney’s west.
In a recent video on social media, the former Greens candidate claimed that the protest she was engaged in was “peaceful” and that her arrest could leave potentially leave her “without vision in [her] right eye, permanently”.
“I was engaged in peaceful protest, and my interactions with NSW Police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye, permanently,” Thomas shared.
On Monday afternoon, days after her arrest, Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden declared it a “Level 2 critical incident”.
NSW Police said the decision comes after Thomas’ legal team provided authorities with her medical records, which were then reviewed by the NSW Police Medical Officer, who then determined the level of injury warranted a critical incident declaration.
A critical incident is when an event involving an NSW Police officer results in the death or a serious injury of a person. NSW Police are responsible for investigating a critical incident once it’s declared.
An investigation into Thomas’ arrest will be led by a critical incident team attached to the Campbelltown City Police Area Command. The investigation will also be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command with oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC).
Green MP Sue Higginson says she “welcomes” the critical incident declaration of Thomas’ arrest. However, she did note that the deceleration was the “minimum requirement when Police actions cause serious injury”.
“We have maintained from the outset the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission must have full oversight of the investigation, and they should be tasked with looking at what happened in the context of the Minns Labor Government’s intolerance to protest in NSW and how that has likely emboldened police,” Higginson said.
“It concerns me deeply that the police, in announcing the critical incident, have referred to the protest at Belmore as ‘unauthorised’.
“This is another falsehood that is created by the current regime of intolerance by Premier Chris Minns and the Police. It’s important to remember people do not need authorisation to hold a protest. To do so would mean we really do live in a police state.”
It’s unknown when the investigation into the incident will begin.
Concerns over “place of worship” powers
The critical incident declaration comes after NSW Police were questioned on whether or not they used anti-protest powers to break up protests in places of worship.
You see, the SEC Plating business on Lakemba Street is across from the Teebah Islamic Association Mosque in Belmore.
In February, NSW Premier Chris Minns passed new laws that banned protests near places of worship following the Dural Caravan Incident — in which a caravan full of explosives was found alongside an address of a synagogue and antisemitic messaging.
According to the act, police cannot issue move-on directions for protests unless they decide it’s a “serious risk” to safety, block access, or impede traffic near places of worship.
In her recent Instagram video, Thomas slammed the Minns and Yasmin Catley‘s “draconian anti-protest laws and their attempts to demonise protestors”.
“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.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden denied that they used the new anti-protest powers, stating that the existing Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act was cited, 9News reports.
McFadden went on to allege that the protest was “unauthorised” and that a crowd of about 60 people were blocking pedestrian access into the business.
Minns also denied that the new anti-protest laws were used.
“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,” he said on Monday, per 9News.
Thomas, alongside four others, were arrested for allegedly failing to comply with the direction and resisting arrest during Friday’s protest.
The former Greens candidate is set to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday, August 12.
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