NSW Police will review footage that shows a police officer pushing a woman at a pro-Palestine protest in Wollongong.
A video filmed by a protester at around 6:20am on Monday shows a woman falling to the ground after the officer pushes her while she stands in the path of a police vehicle at the Wollongong Friends of Palestine event.
The pro-Palestine group began a picket of Bisalloy Steels on the evening of June 14, renewing its protest against the company’s contracts with defence companies in Israel.
Police and protesters clashing outside Bisalloy Steels in Unanderra. (ABC Illawarra: Charles Rushforth)
Picket organiser Rada Germanos said the footage was confronting.
“We don’t want to see our friends and community members treated this way.“
Dr Rada said the group’s 10th picket of the facility since 2025 had been met by a large police presence, including officers from the NSW Riot Squad.
Protesters blocking one of the entrances to Bisalloy Steels in Unanderra on June 15. (ABC Illawarra: Charles Rushforth)
“This is the first picket in which we’ve experienced this level of policing and police aggression and police violence,” she said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for NSW Police said it was aware of the video and the incident was “under review”.
Protester allegedly injured
Greens senator David Shoebridge attended the protest for four hours on Sunday evening, and said he had since spoken with the female protester, who was an Illawarra resident.
David Shoebridge says he has spoken to the female protester, who is still in “some pain”. (ABC News: Jerry Rickard)
“She hasn’t had the opportunity to go and see a GP yet,” he said.
“But she’s still in pain and shocked by the suddenness and the reality of that police violence.“
Senator Shoebridge said the incident brought to mind alleged police violence during protests over Israeli President Issac 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.
“I just have such respect for these young people who are willing to come out and put their bodies on the line in order to protect other people on the other side of the planet.”
Yesterday, NSW Police arrested a 24-year-old woman who allegedly assaulted a police officer after refusing to move from the entrance to the facility.
Protesters outside Bisalloy Steels. (ABC Illawarra: Charles Rushforth)
She was granted conditional bail to appear before Port Kembla Local Court next month.
Bisalloy Steels is Australia’s only manufacturer of quenched and tempered steel plates suitable for armour applications.
The company has held contracts with Israeli companies such as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Plasan Re’em in the past, but has not confirmed the current status of those partnerships to the ABC.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Bisalloy said the company “respects the right of peaceful protest” and was “grateful for the work of the NSW Police”.
