By Australian Associated,Editor,Max Aldred

Copyright dailymail

READ MORE: Former Greens candidate horrifically injured celebrates legal win

By MAX ALDRED, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: 14:03 BST, 19 September 2025 | Updated: 14:10 BST, 19 September 2025

A former Greens candidate has been awarded legal costs of more than $20,000 by a court after police dropped charges against her, relating to a pro-Palestine protest where she was seriously injured.

Hannah Thomas was left with a severe eye injury following a clash with police at an unauthorised protest outside SEC Plating in Belmore, in Sydney’s southwest, in June.

The 35-year-old was among five people arrested as they rallied against the Australian firm which is reportedly linked to the manufacture of components for US fighter jets used by the Israeli Defence Forces. The company has denied this.

Ms Thomas was charged with hindering or resisting police, as well as two counts of failing to comply with a direction to disperse.

But the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the charges on September 9.

‘The charges against me should never have been brought, so it’s a relief that they’ve finally been dropped,’ Ms Thomas said at the time.

Following the decision, she appeared in Bankstown Local Court on Friday where she was awarded $21,795 for legal fees.

Three of the other co-accused protesters also received costs orders after their charges were dropped.

Hannah Thomas (above) was awarded legal costs of more than $20,000 after police dropped charges against her relating to a pro-Palestine protest where she was seriously injured

Ms Thomas was picketing the company SEC Plating in Belmore in June with dozens of other protesters when police attempted to move the group on, at which point a scuffle broke out

Zachary Schofield was given a costs certificate for $6,160, Shane Reside was awarded $4,950, and Holly Zhang was awarded $6,530.

Ms Thomas suffered an eye injury that required surgery after a scuffle broke out between protesters and police.

Officers are understood to have issued a move-on order to approximately 60 people who were picketing, but an altercation broke out when some failed to comply.

A photo of Ms Thomas in June showed the severity of her injuries, with her entire right eye closed, swollen and bloody, while she sat in the back of an ambulance.

The right side of her face was also covered in blood, and her eye was blackened.

Ms Thomas, who challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the seat of Grayndler at the last election, also claimed she could have suffered permanent vision damage.

Her legal team has suggested they might launch a civil case in the Supreme Court.

It would allege malicious prosecution, assault and battery, abuse of process, and misfeasance of public office.

During the scuffle with police, Ms Thomas received a severe eye injury which required surgery

Ms Thomas said the protest was peaceful, blaming police for the injury. NSW Police have previously said they didn’t observe misconduct in body-worn camera footage of the incident

Aussie Greens candidate is given terrifying news after she was blinded at a pro-Palestine rally

‘I just wanted to say thanks so much for the overwhelming support I’ve received… I’ve been lucky to be looked after so well by the staff at the hospital,’ Ms Thomas said in June while speaking from hospital.

‘I don’t want to go into too much detail about the traumatic events on Friday, but, I’m 5’1’ and I weigh 45kg.

‘I was engaged in a peaceful protest and the actions of NSW Police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye, permanently.

‘This is because of (Premier) Chris Minns and (Police Minister) Yasmin Catley and their draconian anti-protest laws.

‘The anti-protest laws aren’t just a threat to people protesting for Palestine, but for any person who wants a safer world for all of us.’

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden has previously said he didn’t observe any misconduct in officers’ body-worn camera footage of the incident.

A spokesperson for the police force also previously told Daily Mail: ‘[Ms Thomas] sustained facial injuries while being arrested for allegedly failing to comply with a police direction and the arrest was discontinued and (she) was taken to Bankstown hospital for treatment.’

Ms Thomas has attended anti-Israel protests in the past, having called on Australia to impose sanctions on Israel, whose government she accused of genocide.

She was among dozens of demonstrators who descended on Albanese’s electorate office to demand action after Greta Thunberg’s ‘Freedom Flotilla’ was seized by Israeli defence forces earlier this month.

The Daily Mail has contacted NSW Police regarding the internal review into the arrest of Thomas and the four other protesters.

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Major update after Greens candidate had to undergo surgery on her eye after she was injured during a pro-Palestine rally

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