Police Admit To Battery And False Imprisonment Of Hannah Thomas After Pro-Palestinian Protest

State government lawyers have conceded that a NSW police officer punched former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas during a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney, according to court documents relating to a civil case filed by Ms Thomas.

The admission forms part of the state’s written defence to allegations brought after Ms Thomas was hospitalised following an incident in Belmore in June 2025 during a demonstration outside a manufacturing business.

Ms Thomas brought a civil claim against the officer and the state government after she was hospitalised and required a number of surgeries as a result of the incident. Court documents state that the officer struck Ms Thomas in the eye while holding a police torch, with the state accepting that the use of force constituted a battery.

Ms Thomas was among a group of protesters arrested at the scene, with all charges against her later dropped.

The state’s defence also accepts that Ms Thomas was unlawfully arrested and falsely imprisoned during the incident, according to the filings.

The court documents indicate that the state acknowledges Ms Thomas suffered “harm and damage” as a result of the incident and that she is entitled to damages, although it disputes some of the broader allegations made in the claim.

Ms Thomas’s lawyers described the alleged act in a paragraph that was conceded by the defence.

“[The officer] punched the Plaintiff’s right eye with his right hand, causing the Plaintiff to scream, as well as causing immediate bleeding and swelling … At the time of the punch, [the officer] was holding a police torch in his right hand.”

An officer has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the incident and is expected to face further court proceedings later this year.

NSW Police have previously described the matter as a “critical incident” investigation, which was referred to oversight bodies after medical records and other material were reviewed.

The protest occurred outside a manufacturing facility in south-west Sydney that demonstrators allege supplies components used in Israeli strikes in Gaza, a claim the company involved has denied.

The civil case involving Ms Thomas remains ongoing before the courts.