Palestinian Australian assaulted and abused on Sydney train ‘shocked’ police charged assailant with assault but not hate speech

Exclusive: Assault on Shamikh Badra captured on video and incident labelled ‘unacceptable’ by attorney general, but sole charge highlights issues with hate speech lawsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPalestinian Australian film-maker Shamikh Badra, who alleged to police that he was assaulted and racially abused on a Sydney train following an anti-immigration march, is “shocked” that police charged his assailant with common assault but not hate speech.The August assault, which was filmed by Shamikh’s brother, Majed Badra, on his phone and also captured on CCTV, has raised questions about the NSW government’s controversial attempt to criminalise racial vilification – and the lack of prosecutions. Continue reading…