World News
Palestinian Australian sues New South Wales over alleged police assault at Sydney protest
Eyad Shadid alleges assault, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution following his February arrest near Sydney Town Hall.
The short version
- Eyad Shadid has launched a civil lawsuit against the state of New South Wales in the district court.
- Shadid alleges officers dragged him down, punched him, and fabricated claims after he asked police not to advance on praying Muslim men during a February demonstration.
- NSW police previously dropped criminal charges against Shadid and paid his legal costs, but the state has not yet filed its formal defence in the civil suit.
- The broader policing of the February protest remains under investigation by a police watchdog, with more than 20 demonstrators facing a joint trial in mid-2027.
Key facts
- Eyad Shadid filed a civil claim in the New South Wales district court alleging assault, battery, false imprisonment, misfeasance in public office, and malicious prosecution against the state of New South Wales.[The Guardian]
- The incident occurred on 9 February near Sydney Town Hall during a protest against the visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog.[The Guardian]
- Shadid alleges in his claim that after telling advancing police officers that men were praying, an officer pulled him to the ground, punched him in the face, and twisted his wrist while another knelt on his head.[The Guardian]
- NSW police initially charged Shadid with resisting arrest and failing to comply with a police direction, but dropped the charges in May and paid his legal costs after prosecutors acknowledged no move-on direction was issued.[The Guardian]
- Shadid is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages in his civil lawsuit.[The Guardian]
- A police watchdog is investigating overall police conduct during the February demonstration, and more than 20 demonstrators face a joint trial scheduled for mid-2027.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The state's legal defence has not yet been filed, and both NSW police and the premier declined to comment on the active court case.[The Guardian]
- Conflicting accounts exist between Shadid's statement of claim and the arresting officer's initial statement regarding whether verbal threats were made and whether the prayer had begun before the police line advanced.[The Guardian]