Sydney protester Danny Lim on the floor of the QVB after police discontinued their arrest of him on Tuesday morning.
In a statement,police said the security guards had asked Lim to leave the building,but he did not. When police arrived,Lim was issued with a move-on order but failed to comply. His arrest was discontinued after he sustained a cheekbone injury during a struggle with police.
Footage posted to Twitter showed Lim yelping as he resisted arrest,and then being manhandled to the ground by two officers. His head is seen hitting the hard,tiled surface of the QVB floor.
Police said Lim was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to St Vincent’s Hospital,and officers from the Sydney City area command had reviewed footage of the incident.
“As inquiries into the incident continue,an independent review has been launched,which will examine the actions of police during the incident,” police said.
A man identifying himself as an eyewitness and occasional friend of Lim,25-year-old Isaac Jafa,told theHerald building security approached Lim while he was in Jafa’s phone repair shop. Lim became agitated and suggested the security guards call the police,Jafa said.
Jafa said when police arrived he explained to them that Lim was a well-known figure and posed no danger to the public,but they “blatantly told me to go away or face prosecution”.