SYDNEY, Sept 12 (Askume) – Anti-war groups protested on Thursday outside a defence exhibition in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, following violent clashes between police and protesters on Wednesday that left several police officers injured.
Protesters marched through the city streets and police set up new barriers to prevent crowds from entering the streets near the site of the biennial Army International Land Defence Exhibition.
Police said it was Melbourne’s biggest security operation since the World Economic Forum in 2000, with riot squad officers and professionals deployed.
Dozens of people were arrested on Wednesday as police used sponge grenades, flash devices and irritant spray to control hostile crowds, some of whom threw stones, horse manure and bottles at police and horses.
About 1,500 people protested outside the venue on Wednesday, with many chanting pro-Palestinian slogans through loudspeakers and waving Palestinian flags, while others carried signs and flags representing other struggles and causes.
Victoria Police said a total of 22 people had been charged and 10 had been issued infringement notices. Twenty-seven police officers required medical treatment.
Protesters claim police used rubber bullets and other weapons, including pepper spray, which they say should be banned against protesters.
The violence during the protests led by a group calling itself the Disruptor Army was strongly condemned by the main parties, although the left-wing Greens demanded an independent investigation into the police actions.
About 1,000 exhibiting organisations from 31 countries are expected to attend the event, which organisers say is Australia’s largest defence expo. The three-day event will conclude on Friday.
