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Protester sues NSW after allegedly being punched by police at Herzog rally
Palestinian-Australian social services worker Eyad Shadid has launched a civil lawsuit against New South Wales (NSW) police in the district court. The legal action stems from an incident during an anti-Isaac Herzog protest near Sydney’s Town Hall in February 2026, where Shadid alleges he was violently assaulted, falsely arrested, and subjected to malicious prosecution after trying to protect a group of Muslim men praying from advancing officers.
According to court documents, an officer dragged the 26-year-old to the ground, punched him in the face, and twisted his wrist, while another officer pinned him down by kneeling on his head. Though Shadid was initially charged with resisting arrest and failing to obey police directions, the charges were dropped in May after prosecutors conceded no lawful direction was given. Shadid is now seeking aggravated and exemplary damages for assault, false imprisonment, and misfeasance in public office, noting that the wrongful prosecution harmed his business and reputation.