NSW Police say they will review video footage showing an officer pushing a woman to the ground during a pro‑Palestine protest in Wollongong, after the incident sparked renewed scrutiny of police conduct at demonstrations.
The video, filmed around 6:20am on Monday, shows the woman standing in front of a police vehicle at a Wollongong Friends of Palestine picket outside Bisalloy Steels. As the vehicle attempts to move forward, an officer pushes her, causing her to fall backwards onto the road.
The protest group began its latest picket on June 14, renewing its campaign against Bisalloy’s contracts with defence companies in Israel.
Dr Rada, a spokesperson for the group, said this was their 10th picket since 2025, but the first time they had encountered what she described as “this level of policing and police aggression.”
A NSW Police spokesperson confirmed they were aware of the footage and said the incident was “under review.”
The confrontation has drawn political attention.
Senator David Shoebridge said the footage reminded him of alleged police violence during protests surrounding Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia earlier this year.
“I’m thinking here about the appalling levels of police violence that we saw at Town Hall,” he said, praising young activists “willing to put their bodies on the line in order to protect other people on the other side of the planet.”
The heightened tensions follow another arrest on Sunday, when police detained a 24‑year‑old woman who allegedly assaulted an officer after refusing to move from the facility entrance.
The review comes amid broader national debate over policing at pro‑Palestine demonstrations, public safety, and the boundaries of lawful protest.
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