Hannah Thomas hits out at ‘cowardly’ cops after injury during protest arrest

A former Greens candidate who was injured during a scuffle with police at a protest has lashed the “cowardly police”.

A former Greens candidate who fears she may lose vision in her eye following an altercation with police says protesters will not be stopped by “cowardly police” or governments.

Hannah Thomas, formerly a Greens candidate in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s seat of Grayndler, participated at a protest outside SEC Plating in Belmore on June 27.

Protesters alleged the company participated in the production of weapons components used by the Israel Defence Forces.

The company has strongly denied the claims.

Ms Thomas was arrested by NSW Police at the protest last month, and suffered an eye injury so severe she fears she may lose her vision.

The former Greens candidate has issued a strong message to police at a protest in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon.

Hannah Thomas says protesters will not be stopped by ‘cowardly police’ or governments after she was Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“You can send your cowardly police … and we still will not be afraid of you,” Ms Thomas said.

“I’d rather look in the mirror every day and see someone with one eye and a disfigured face than someone with no soul.”

She addressed the crowd for about 10 minutes, wearing dark sunglasses and standing in front of both a Palestinian and a Lebanese flag.

“So to Albanse and to (Chris) Minns, we don’t owe you respect, we do not owe you decorum, we owe the people of Gaza our resistance.

“...We won’t stop.

“You should be afraid of our movement, because we are not afraid of you.”

Hannah Thomas has had surgery to recover from the injury to her eye. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Thomas spoke at a protest on Sunday afternoon, wearing a pair of sunglasses. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Ms Thomas has already had surgery to recover from the injury to her eye, however she last week told 10 News+ she will have at least one more surgery.

“Even if I don’t lose the eye, I don’t know how much vision I’m getting back,” Ms Thomas told the program.

“I won’t know for some months because I’ll have at least one more surgery.”

Hannah Thomas (right) marched at the Gaza protest in the Sydney CBD. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

She was subsequently charged with hindering or resisting arrest and two counts of refusing to comply with all directions to disperse.

NSW Police have since withdrawn a charge related to the rarely used emergency anti-protest powers introduced after the 2005 Cronulla riots.

Ms Thomas entered pleas of not guilty to all three charges.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden earlier said he had viewed the video of Ms Thomas’ arrest, and saw no evidence of misconduct by the officers.

However, a critical incident was declared and the matter will be investigated by an independent police watchdog.

At the federal election Ms Thomas received 25.1 per cent of the first preference votes, but was roundly defeated by the Prime Minister who took 53.5 per cent of first preferences.

Since the defeat Ms Thomas has been employed as a media officer for the Greens.

She recently told 10 News that the injury had affected her vision, and she could no long look at a screen for “too long”.

“I don’t know what happens with my career because of this injury.”

Originally published as Hannah Thomas hits out at ‘cowardly’ cops after injury during protest arrest