Anti-war demonstrators in Melbourne confronted police at the Land Forces 2024 military weapons trade show, demanding a new policy about the war in Gaza. Some 1,200 protesters marched outside the convention center. The police used stun grenades, pepper spray, and rubber bullets to control the crowd. In total, 39 were arrested during the unrest.
Protest organizer Jasmine Duff from Students for Palestine emphasized the demonstration’s purpose:
“We are protesting to express the untold suffering of all those who have been killed by the type of weapons showcased in the convention. ”
The police institutions were well represented as approximately 1800 policemen were deployed to maintain order throughout the three days of the event. The organizers forecasted that up to 25000 protesters would come to the scene. Some protesters pelted the police with rocks, horse manure, and bottles containing substances that irritated them; the police reported that about twenty-five people needed medical attention.
It also affected traffic and public transport, with people burning fires on the roads and streets. While there were some injuries, they did not report any significant officer loss, as can be seen from the following table. Among those arrested, charges ranged from assault, obstruction as well as arson, and officials described the actions of the protesters as shocking.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton dismissed reports of ‘rubber bullets’ being used, saying that hard foam baton rounds were used. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also emphasized non-violent protest, saying that everyone should respect the police.
The arms fair – Australia’s biggest defense exposition – attracts about 1,000 exhibiting organizations from 31 countries. There remains controversy on the part of the Australian government in part to delivery of arms related to the Gaza conflict even as Richard Marles, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, countered that there has not been any export of arms to Israel in recent times. Specific data reveal that within 2016-2023, Australia released 322 export licenses for military equipment to Israel, which cost about 15. 5 million Australian dollars.
