
Australian police charge Tommy Thomas' daughter over pro-Palestinian protest
SYDNEY: Australian police have charged Hannah Thomas, the daughter of former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, with hindering or resisting police during a pro-Palestinian protest.
ABC News reported that Hannah was issued a "Future Court Attendance Notice" for allegedly hindering or resisting a policeman and refusing to comply with a direction to disperse.
This led to Hannah, 35, being arrested. She sustained serious facial injuries in the process and is now being treated in hospital.
Her lawyer, Peter O'Brien, said the incident might result in her losing sight in one eye.
Hannah is scheduled to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Aug 12.
She and others had been protesting outside a manufacturing facility accused of supplying technology to the Israeli military.
Hannah previously contested Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's seat of Grayndler as a Greens federal election candidate but lost.
Federal and New South Wales (NSW) Greens members are calling for accountability over the incident.
NSW Greens Member of Parliament Sue Higginson called for it to be declared a "critical incident" as it involved policemen.
NSW police, however, said it is not formally investigating the matter as a "critical incident" and that if an incident is declared, it will be "a decision of the Region Commander".
"The incident remains under investigation and police continue to seek further information," NSW Police said.
The Guardian previously reported that the protesters wanted to block pedestrian access, claiming the company provides "electroplating and surface coating services for a variety of applications including aerospace and defence technology" used by Israel.

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