Australian politician Hannah Thomas could lose vision in her right eye after she sustained injuries during her arrest at a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney, as police launched an investigation into the incident following uproar over alleged excessive use of force.
Thomas, the daughter of former Malaysian attorney general Tommy Thomas, was among a group of about 60 people who gathered outside SEC Plating, an Australian provider of electroplating services, last Friday. They did not get prior approval from the authorities to hold the protest at the company’s premises.
The demonstrators accused the company of supplying parts to the Israeli military, which is involved in a bombing campaign in Gaza.
They later scuffled with officers, and New South Wales police arrested Thomas and four others.
She was charged with resisting arrest and refusing to comply with officers.
The Greens politician, who contested against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May’s general election, was later taken to a hospital and underwent surgery.
