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Follow us on XA video showing a NSW Police officer pushing a woman to the ground during a pro-Palestine protest in Wollongong has sparked anger online and prompted an internal review.
The footage, filmed outside Bisalloy Steels in Unanderra on Monday morning, appears to show protesters standing near a police vehicle during a Wollongong Friends of Palestine picket.
Moments later, the woman is seen near the front of the vehicle. After she appears to move back toward the area while filming on her phone, another officer approaches. Physical contact follows, and both the woman and the officer fall to the ground.
NSW Police has confirmed it is aware of the video and said the incident is now under review.
Video From Bisalloy Protest Spreads Online
The protest took place outside Bisalloy Steels, a Wollongong-area steel manufacturer that has been the focus of repeated demonstrations over its alleged links to Israeli defence companies.
According to ABC News, the video was filmed about 6.20am on Monday during a Wollongong Friends of Palestine event. The group began its latest picket on the evening of June 14 and planned to continue until Wednesday evening.
The footage quickly spread online after Greens senator David Shoebridge shared it, calling for an independent investigation.
7News reported that the officer can be seen getting up and walking away with other police after the fall, while bystanders move in to help the woman.
Protest Group Says Police Presence Was Heavy
Wollongong Friends of Palestine organiser Rada Germanos told ABC the footage was confronting and said the group did not want to see community members treated that way.
She also said this was the group’s tenth picket at the facility since 2025, but claimed this protest had been met with a much larger police response than previous actions.
According to ABC, officers from the NSW Riot Squad were also present at the site.
Senator Shoebridge said he had spoken with the woman involved and claimed she was still in pain and shocked by what happened. He said she had not yet been able to see a GP.
NSW Police Says Incident Is Under Review
NSW Police has not publicly released a detailed account of the officer’s actions in the footage.
A police spokesperson said the force was aware of the video and that the incident was “under review”.
That short response has become one of the biggest points of frustration online, with many people questioning whether an internal review is enough when footage of police use of force is involved.
Reddit Users Question Whether It Was Really Just A Push
The story also hit Reddit, where users on r/australia reacted strongly to how the incident was described.
Several commenters took issue with headlines using the word “push”, arguing the footage looked more forceful than that.
One user wrote that it looked “more of a sling tackle than a push”, while another said the officer appeared to grab the woman before both went down.
Not everyone saw the clip the same way. One Reddit user argued the woman appeared to move back into the path of the vehicle after being moved away and said the officer may not have intended to knock her over.
That view was quickly challenged by others, who argued that grabbing someone changes the nature of the contact entirely.
Why The Video Has Hit A Nerve
For many online, the video has landed during a wider debate about how NSW Police handle protests, especially demonstrations connected to Palestine and Israel.
Some commenters compared the incident to previous protest policing controversies in Sydney. Others focused on the review process itself, with several Reddit users making sarcastic comments about police investigating police.
That distrust is now central to the public reaction.
The footage may only show a brief moment, but it has triggered a much bigger conversation about protest rights, police force, accountability and who gets believed after a confrontation between officers and civilians.
Bisalloy Says It Respects Peaceful Protest
Bisalloy Steels has previously faced criticism from activists over its links to defence companies.
ABC reported that Bisalloy is Australia’s only manufacturer of quenched and tempered steel plates suitable for armour applications. The company has held contracts with Israeli companies, including Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Plasan Re’em, in the past.
Bisalloy told ABC it respects the right to peaceful protest and said it was grateful for the work of NSW Police.
What Happens Next?
For now, NSW Police says the matter remains under review.
The protest group has said it intends to continue the picket, while calls for an independent investigation are growing online.
Whether the review leads to disciplinary action, further public explanation or no finding at all remains to be seen.
But the video has already done what viral footage often does: it has turned one confrontation outside a factory into a national argument about power, policing and accountability.
