Antiwar protesters have clashed with police outside an arms fair in the Australian city of Melbourne as they demanded a change in Canberra’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Police said they used stun grenades, pepper spray and “rubber bullets” and arrested 39 people on Wednesday, as about 1,200 picketed the Land Forces 2024 military weapons exposition. Australia has seen numerous protests against the country’s arms industry’s involvement in Israel’s war on Gaza over the past 11 months.
“We’re protesting to stand up for all those who have been killed by the type of weapons on display at the convention,” Jasmine Duff from organiser Students for Palestine said in a statement.
About 1,800 police officers were deployed to the Melbourne convention centre hosting the three-day weapons exhibition. Up to 25,000 people had previously been expected to turn up at the protest.
Protesters pelted officers with rocks, horse manure and bottles filled with liquid irritants, some of which were identified as acid, leaving two dozen requiring medical treatment, said a Victoria state police spokesperson in a statement.
Protesters lit fires in the street and disrupted traffic and public transport, while missiles were thrown at police horses. However, no serious injuries were reported, according to police.
Arrests were made for a range of offences, including assaulting, obstructing or hindering police, arson and blocking roads, said the statement, adding that police were “appalled” by the behaviour of protesters.
The Wage Peace – Disrupt War group, which was involved in the protests, said on its Facebook page that it had made its message “loud and clear”.
The group reported that police had used “extreme weaponry” throughout the protests, including pepper spray, flashbangs (or stun grenades) and rubber bullets.
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