A critical incident has been declared by NSW Police after former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas was injured in her arrest at a pro-Palestine demonstration in Sydney’s south-west.

Thomas, who contested Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s seat of Grayndler at the federal election, suffered serious eye injuries during an arrest at a protest outside SEC Plating on Lakemba Street in Belmore on Friday.

The 35-year-old has said she is facing potential permanent loss of vision in one eye, a level of injury severe enough to warrant a level two critical incident investigation.

This afternoon, police declared the critical incident after receiving medical records from Thomas’ lawyer following several attempts over the weekend.

The investigation will be led by a team from Campbelltown City Police Area Command and reviewed by the Professional Standards Command with oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

Thomas insisted the protests were “peaceful” in a video posted to social media.

”I don’t want to get into too much detail about the traumatic events on Friday, but I’m 5’1″, I weigh about 45 kilos,” Thomas said.

“I was engaged in peaceful protests, and my interactions with NSW Police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye permanently.”

Thomas criticised Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley’s new “draconian” hate crimes laws, which give officers greater powers to move on protesters outside a place of worship.

“They’ve emboldened the police to crack down with extreme violence and brutality, and they were warned that those laws would lead to this outcome,” she said.

SEC Plating is located opposite the Teebah Islamic Association Mosque.

The protesters claim SEC Plating supplies parts used in the manufacture of F-35 jets, which are flown by the Israel Defence Forces.

The company has denied the allegation.

Thomas’ lawyer is narrowing in on the new laws, saying what happened to her client is “deeply concerning and should never have occurred”.

“Given that recent changes in the law in relation to protests have attempted to expand police powers to give directions, now subject to constitutional challenge, police may well have felt emboldened to act without proper and lawful acknowledgment of the right to protest,” solicitor Peter O’Brien said.

“The government was warned that these changes to expand police powers to disperse protestors could lead to serious and ugly confrontations.

“Those warnings have now rung true.”

NSW Greens MP and MLC Sue Higginson penned a letter to Minns today urging him to direct police to withdraw all charges.

“There is now sufficient evidence in the public domain to confirm that the police have acted beyond the scope of their lawful powers,” she wrote.

“What occurred in Belmore was not policing, it was punishment.

“A member of our community was brutally assaulted by uniformed officers while engaging in peaceful political expression.”

Minns denied the new laws were used in the protest and failed to condemn the incident.

“If we get to the point where it is the law to allow in all circumstances a private firm to be interrupted whenever and wherever a protest wants to take place, you’d appreciate that puts us and it puts police in a terrible position,” he said earlier today.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden also knocked back the suggestion, saying the existing Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act was cited.

He alleged the protest was unauthorised, blocked pedestrian access and the crowd of about 60 people were directed to move on twice.

A few protesters, including Thomas acting as a legal observer, allegedly failed to comply and were arrested.

Thomas suffered serious facial injuries during the arrest and was rushed to Bankstown Hospital.

Police alleged officers and protesters were involved in a “scuffle”. 

Thomas was one of five people charged with allegedly hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty and refusing or failing to comply with a direction to disperse.

She will face Bankstown Local Court on August 12. 

McFadden said the matter was escalated to his office, and his initial review of police body-cam footage showed there was no indication of police misconduct.