Woman, 69, in hospital with four broken vertebrae after interaction with police at Sydney Herzog protest | Australian police and policing

A 69-year-old woman is recovering in hospital with four broken vertebrae after a police officer pushed her to the ground “very violently” and “without warning” during a Sydney protest against a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

“I knew right away that I was going to hurt my back,” Jann Alhafny told Guardian Australia by phone from her hospital bed.

Alhafny said other people pushed onto him while he was on the ground. He said he feared there might be a stampede or he might drown.

“[The officer] “He grabbed one of my arms and pulled me up really violently and it was unbearable.”

A NSW police spokesman told the ABC he was unaware of the incident.

Police said investigators are continuing to review body camera and social media footage of the incident.

Alhafny is one of several protesters injured after thousands of people protested at Sydney town hall against a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

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While some tried to defy the Minns government’s ban on marching in the area where the protest was taking place, the protesters were pepper-sprayed and treated with kettles by the police.

The protest also took place within a designated area declared a “major event” under state legislation that gives police expanded powers to move protesters and search people throughout Herzog’s visit.

This also eliminated the ability of anyone claiming to be the victim of any wrongful police action to sue the state.

Labor MP Stephen Lawrence joined the protest and warned his government’s restriction on marches could create a flashpoint, saying on ABC radio earlier this morning: “There will be no civil liability because under the major events bill declaration all civil liability is removed.”

Alhafny said he has attended many of the protests organized by the Palestine Action Group, with organizers often filling out a form to negotiate with police over marches.

The group submitted a form for Monday’s march but it was rejected due to protest restrictions imposed following the Bondi terror attack. The restrictions prevent the use of the permit-style system in certain regions for up to 90 days after a terrorist attack.

Alhafny’s husband, who died years ago, was Palestinian and had fled Palestine with his family as a child during the Nakba.

“My daughter and I go to protests all the time, and it’s the right thing to do. Even if my husband wasn’t Palestinian, I would still support Palestine,” she said.

Alhafny recalled walking around the protest and taking photos. He claims police officers charged towards where he was standing “without any real warning.” He said after the officer pulled him up, he pushed him and told him to move.

“I could barely walk, so I limped away,” he said, adding that he later helped another protester sit down and called an ambulance himself.

“If you can call it luck, thank God I don’t need surgery, but the pain is unbearable,” he said. “They said it would be slow, but I will get better.”

“I’m 69 years old. I don’t deserve this. I’ve worked hard my whole life and now I’m putting up with this… I don’t know what my future holds now.”

On Tuesday, Sydney Mayor Clover Moore called for an independent investigation into “police activities” at the protest and an urgent review of the broader police response to the protests.

“We can’t say the footage doesn’t look good, that the police are just doing their job in challenging circumstances or playing the blame game; the community needs to be able to trust the police, and that trust is based on transparency and accountability,” he said.

“Both our state and federal governments have committed to tackling the appalling rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia in our societies, and this is extremely welcome, as are any efforts to achieve ‘social harmony’.

“But we must be careful not to erode civil liberties or chill genuine protests in the process. This does not unite us or make us feel safe.”

“If we truly value inclusion and diversity, we must ensure that all our communities are allowed to safely and freely gather, reflect, mourn, and voice opposition to violence and war.”

NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters on Tuesday that officers “did what they were supposed to do, which was to hold the line and then push back to fall and disperse the protesters. This was designed to keep the community safe.”

The Prime Minister defended the actions of NSW police and rejected suggestions that his own anti-protest restrictions had created what he saw as an “impossible situation” for police dealing with thousands of protesters outside Sydney city hall.

He also urged “not to look at a 10-second clip without full context.”

In his statement, Moore said that Minns’ comments that video clips shared on social media should not be based on individual evaluations fully expressed the need for an independent investigation.

In the footage taken from the scene, some men were seen kneeling and praying before being dragged away by the police.

Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, who led the prayers, told Guardian Australia on Tuesday that he and his fellow worshipers were about 15 minutes behind schedule to offer the sunset prayer towards the end of the show.

He said his shoulder almost felt like it was dislocated as he was being pulled away by police.

“We did not disobey any police orders. We were just saying our prayers and turning our backs,” he said. “What an unacceptable thing they did.”