Tear gas, stun grenades and manure let fly at Australia military expo protests
Anti-war activists rallied against the showcase of weapons, citing Canberra’s stance on the Gaza conflict, with 33 people being arrested
Activists were protesting against a three-day military expo in Melbourne which showcases weapons and technology from around the world.
Local police, fearing crowds of as many as 25,000 protesters, diverted resources from regional areas in anticipation – making it the force’s biggest operation in 20 years.
But police said only 1,200 turned up on Wednesday, many of whom yelled at expo attendees before clashing with police.
“Victoria Police is appalled at the behaviour of some of the protesters in attendance at the Land Forces protest in Melbourne’s CBD this morning,” the state police force said in a statement.
Police said they had been “pelted” with bottles, rocks and horse manure while trying to protect expo attendees, some of whom were also assaulted by protesters.