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[Alexender NoahParticipant]

Calls for Minns to repeal protest laws in wake of Hannah Thomas’ injury

A collective of human rights groups and a union have alleged that NSW police misused their power when attempting to move protesters on before Hannah Thomas was seriously injured.

Thomas, 35, a former Greens candidate who ran against the prime minister at the federal election, was arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in Belmore – which was attended by about 60 people on Friday – and was charged by police with resisting arrest and failing to comply with a direction to disperse.

She was subsequently taken to hospital and underwent surgery and expressed fears she could lose sight in her right eye after an interaction with police.

The letter, signed by the NSW Branch of the Australian Services Union, Amnesty International, Australian Democracy Network and the Jewish Council of Australia, said:

Reports from independent legal observers indicate that police gave move-on orders to individuals walking on the footpath near the intended protest site, on the basis of the protest being ‘unauthorised’. The Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW) does not allow police to move individuals participating in a public assembly on for this reason.

Further, reports indicate that police may have used the recently introduced places of worship move on powers in the Crimes Amendment (Places of Worship) Act 2025… in relation to one person on the basis of a place of worship being located near the protest site, despite the protest not being targeted towards this place of worship or impeding access to it.

The group urged the NSW premier, Chris Minns, to repeal the new laws that restrict protests near places of worship in the wake of Hannah Thomas’ injury. They said the incident reinvigorated concerns “the new move on powers were overly broad, ill defined, and would be used, not to protect worshippers, but to shut down peaceful assemblies and democratic expression”.

The places of worship move on powers must be either urgently amended to ensure they cannot be misused, or repealed.

NSW police have said after a preliminary review of body-worn video of her arrest that there was no information to indicate misconduct. Police have launched a critical investigation into the incident which will be overseen by the independent police watchdog.

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