Danny Lim violently arrested by police in Sydney

An iconic Australian known for walking the streets of Sydney carrying signs preaching the importance of love and happiness is hospitalized with a ‘subdural hematoma’ after being violently arrested by police.

Footage posted online shows Danny Lim, 77, handcuffed by two officers in the Queen Victoria Building in the city’s CBD just before 11am on Tuesday.

The Malaysian-born provocateur can be heard shouting “help” as the officers place his hands behind his back and throw him to the ground.

Criminal defense lawyer Chris Murphy, who shared the video on Twitter, also shared a photo of an injured Mr Lim and said he had suffered a black eye and a hematoma subdural and that he was in serious condition.

NSW Police confirmed in a statement that an investigation had been opened into the incident.

They said they were called to the scene by security guards after Mr Lim allegedly failed to leave the building when asked.

Criminal defense attorney Chris Murphy, who shared the video on Twitter, said Mr Lim had suffered a black eye and a subdural hematoma and was in serious condition.

“An independent review will look into the actions of police in the arrest of a 78-year-old man in Sydney’s CBD earlier today,” the statement read.

“Shortly before 11am (Tuesday 22nd November 2022) officers from the Sydney City Police Area Command were called by security to a shopping complex in George Street, Sydney after a man did not leave the building when asked.

“Police will allege the man then received a direction from officers and failed to comply.

“The man’s arrest was halted after he struggled with police and suffered a cheekbone injury. He was treated at the scene by NSW paramedics and taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.

“While investigations into the incident continue, an independent review has been launched which will examine the actions of the police during the incident.

Lawyer Murphy called the arrest of the ‘innocent man’ ‘heavy duty’, with many Mr Lim fans agreeing.

“Simply outrageous,” one person commented.

“More outrageous is the total lack of public interest or concern, going through [the] incident. Head/face first on the tiled concrete floor, inadmissible.

Mr Lim (pictured with his chihuahua-Pomeranian Smarty) is an icon around Sydney, known for walking around carrying signs urging others to be kind and happy

Another said: ‘It’s absolutely awful. Ashamed.’

“It’s fucking terrible and heavy,” someone else wrote.

Mr Lim is known for parading around Sydney in a sandwich board emblazoned with social and political messages, with his beloved chihuahua-Pomeranian Smarty by his side.

Tuesday’s incident is not the first time the elderly activist has been at the center of a viral video implicating police.

In January 2019, Mr Lim was filmed being arrested while carrying a sign that read ‘SMILE CVN’T! WHY NOT CVN?’.

His arrest sparked a massive protest outside the Sydney NSW Police command center on Day Street in the city days later as hundreds of his supporters flocked to the station to show their support.

Mr Lim, who was bloodied and bruised in the incident, was fined $500 but took the case to court where a judge concluded that although the term “cvnt” is cheeky, it was not criminally offensive.

In quashing the fine, Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge, who was highly critical of the behavior of the arresting officers, said the law was concerned with what would offend the “hypothetical reasonable person”.

Pictured: Footage shows Mr Lim was arrested by officers in Barangaroo in January 2019

“He’s not a thin-skinned, easily offended person,” she told Downing Center Local Court in August 2019.

“He’s someone who can get over some of life’s crudities. (The sign is) provocative and cheeky but he’s not offensive.

Ms Milledge said she personally disliked some signs and adverts that played on the C-word or the F-word.

But she noted the “overwhelming opinion” of people in the public square at the time of Mr Lim’s arrest and said he meant no harm and was not harmful or offensive.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia days after the incident three years ago, Mr Lim said he could not believe he had been arrested.

“It shocked me a lot,” he said.

“It shouldn’t have happened at all.”

‘A lot of people hugged me’: Why beloved sandwich board activist Danny Lim, 74, returned to the streets of Sydney to call for ‘unconditional love’ days after his violent arrest sparked fury

By Stephen Johnson for Daily Mail Australia

Quirky Sydney sandwich board activist Danny Lim and his dog have returned to the same spot where three police officers used force to arrest him four days ago.

The 74-year-old Malaysian-born provocateur appeared on Tuesday morning with his 16-year-old Chihuahua-Pomeranian dog Smarty at Barangaroo in the city, this time wearing a different sign.

‘Unconditional love. B kind to animals, our speechless children,” he said.

Mr Lim told Daily Mail Australia that his dog Smarty, who also accompanied him to the police protest, was a pet

The former Strathfield councilor told Daily Mail Australia he was greeted with supportive hugs from passers-by during the two hours he spent at the bottom of the escalators, where three police officers arrested him on Friday .

“A lot of people come to hug me and thank me,” he said.

Mr Lim, who moved to Australia in 1963 from Malaysia, said he wanted to ‘show I’m fine’ by showing up at Barangaroo for two hours, starting at 7am on Tuesday.

The father-of-two, however, was reeling from Friday morning’s brutal arrest after police told him to move on as he held up a sign with swearing.

Although Mr Lim reported legal action against NSW Police, he said he was not angry with law enforcement officers for apprehending and taking him his dog.

“I don’t blame the police. They are doing a good job,” he said, but declined to answer questions about possible legal action.

An image of Mr Lim standing at the exact spot where three police officers forcibly arrested him on Friday was posted to a closed Facebook group, Irish Around Sydney.

‘He is back. Yesss!!! ‘, wrote Aimee Muschamp in a social media post.

His arrest sparked a large protest on Sunday outside the Sydney Police Command Center on Day Street in the city