Qld police reviewing footage that appears to show protester being punched to the ground by officer

Police are reviewing shocking footage that appears to show a protester being hit from behind by a police officer in Brisbane.

Queensland police are reviewing footage of a protester who appears to be hit from behind by an officer in Brisbane on Sunday.

A man, understood to be in his 50s, was protesting at Kangaroo Point alongside Refugee Solidarity Meanjin when the incident occurred, as captured by video shared on social media.

Footage shared on social media appears to show a police officer hitting a protester at Kangaroo Point from behind. Police say they are reviewing the footage.

The video, shared to Refugee Solidarity Meanjin’s social media, appears to show a man being punched by a police officer.

In a tweet, the group shared footage that showed the man pulling on a makeshift fence when an officer appears to approach the man and punch him, causing the man to fall to the ground.

The man then falls to the ground.

A Queensland police spokesman told NCA NewsWire that police were aware of the incident and the interaction was “being reviewed.”

BREAKING: We are protesting to #FreeTheKP120. Our friend Saif inside was not allowed to visit his wife and 3yo son.

This is how QLD police act at protests outside Dutton’s illegal prison

FOOTAGE: An older man, KING HIT by cop from behind#FreeTheKP120 pic.twitter.com/YZbuK6hOlL

— Refugee Solidarity Meanjin (@RSMeanjin) October 25, 2020

“This is how QLD police act at protests outside Dutton’s illegal prison. FOOTAGE: An older man, KING HIT by cop from behind,” the group said in the tweet.

In a follow-up tweet, the group said the man was “taken away in an ambulance”.

“Police violence and brutality everywhere today. Protesting to reunite a family.”

CLOSER FOOTAGE OF POLICE VIOLENCE

NEVER FORGET THIS PROTESTING IS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LOCKED UP FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS AND ARE HERE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

THEY HAVENT HAD VISITORS OR EXERCISE OUTSIDE THE CONCRETE SINCE MARCH#FREETHEKP120 #7yearstoolong pic.twitter.com/U9v4OkATaW

— Refugee Solidarity Meanjin (@RSMeanjin) October 25, 2020

In a separate post on Facebook, the group named the officer they allege hit the protester, saying he had assaulted a “nonviolent protester”.

“He fell to the ground, started bleeding from his ear, and had to be taken away in an ambulance. One punch can kill, they say,” the post read.

“The police don’t protect anyone – they exist to uphold the racist regime that locks up our friends and perpetrates human rights violations on a daily basis.”

The group are protesting for the freedom of the “KP120”, a group of refugees who are detained inside a Kangaroo Point apartment complex.

RSMeanjin says the group haven’t had visitors or been able to exercise outside the complex since March.

Originally published as Qld police reviewing footage that appears to show protester being punched to the ground by officer