Police Minister Anthony Carbines says violent anti-war protesters will be met with ‘full force of law’

Victoria’s police minister has warned anti-war activists will be met with “the full force of the law” if they resort to violence, as up to 25,000 protesters prepare to blockade an international military fair in Melbourne.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines has sent a stern warning to activists planning to blockade a major international military fair, telling them anyone who resorts to violence will be met with “the full force of the law”.

Mr Carbines on Wednesday said protesters who “come in (to the CBD) to cause trouble, to disrupt, upset or scare people” will be put “on notice”.

“If you’re not going to abide by the law, if you’re not going to protest peacefully, if you’re not going to show respect and decency, then you’ll be met with the full force of the law,” he said.

“Every resource that we can bring to bear will come down on top of you. Make no mistake about that.”

Victoria Police will be forced to divert 1800 officers – a tenth of its personnel – to tackle anti-war activists threatening anarchy in the city next month.

Up to 25,000 protesters are planning to blockade the event at Melbourne Convention Centre in what police fear will turn into the biggest conflict since the chaotic World Economic Forum of 2000, a quarter of a century ago.

More than 800 defence firms and other military organisations will be represented at Land Forces expo, which runs from September 11-13.

Climate change activists blockade the IMARC conference at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre in 2019. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A climate change protester at the blockade of the 2019 IMARC conference. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A man is knocked to the ground during the protest at the IMARC conference. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A poster advertising the 2024 event at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

And 40 groups – including pro-Palestine, Antifa and anarchist activists – have been identified as planning to picket the expo, police sources say.

Activists have taken to social media, urging supporters to “join the mobilisation” and “shut this shit down”.

“Land Forces is a massive weapons sales event, a one-stop genocide shop. This is where the generals, weapons CEOs, diplomats and Defence Ministers come together to do the deals that end in massacres,” protest group Disrupt Land Forces wrote online.

The group claims more than 30 anti-militarist groups have already committed to disrupting the event, with their goals including “a week long festival of resistance bringing diverse actionists and tactics into joined struggle against the arms trade” and “make the harms dealers have a bad time”.

The group says the “stretch goal” was to enlist “25,000 people encircle the Melbourne Convention Centre and shut Land Forces down.”

The group claims they “hassled Land Forces out of Magadjin (Brisbane) … imagine what we can do now in Naarm (Melbourne)”.

There is concern the event could be a repeat of the 2019 International Mining and Resources Conference at the same venue in which police clashed with demonstrators and delegates were spat upon.

More than 107 people had been arrested by the end of that event.

A protester outside the Brisbane Convention Centre rallying against the 2021 Land Forces Expo. Picture: Sarah Marshall

Anti-war protesters on the steps of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre as they protest outside the Land Forces Expo in 2021. Picture: Brad Fleet

Anti-war protester on the steps of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre outside the Land Forces expo. Picture: Brad Fleet

A police source said protesters had been preparing for some time and it was expected members would be dragged in from most areas of the organisation to secure the expo and its attendees.

“It will be the biggest police operation in years,” a source told the Herald Sun.

Pro-Palestine activists have encouraged people to protest at the event in recent weeks, with organisers hosting a public gathering in June to discuss the planned action.

It comes as pro-Palestine protesters clashed with police last month at an early morning rally in Thomastown with officers forced to deploy pepper spray.

Several protesters were arrested as they blocked the entrance to an Electromold Australia facility along Holt Parade as they faced off against officers for five hours on July 24.

It was the second protest in less than a week, with more than 250 protesters gathering at the site to block workers from entering on July 19.

The Herald Sun previously revealed more than 10,000 officers have been dragged off the beat to deal with Melbourne protests in the past six months.

Pro-Palestine supporters gather in front of Parliament House during a Free Palestine Rally. Picture: Diego Fedele

Police line the front of the Zara store in Bourke St during a pro-Palestine protest. Picture: Diego Fedele

An average of 21 city protests are staged each week, diverting police from vital duties in their suburbs and regions to be on standby for any action.

Free Palestine Melbourne (FPM) activist Muayad Ali said the group fully supported protests against Land Forces after the federal government reportedly signed an agreement with an Israeli weapons company.

“This year the Australian government awarded the Israeli company Elbit Systems a $600 million contract to supply systems to the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle,” Mr Ali said.

“By awarding this contract at a time when Elbit weapon systems are being used to wage a war of genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Albanese government is violating the Genocide Convention and defying the ruling of the International Court of Justice regarding the Gaza genocide.”

“Those protesting the exposition are saving Australia’s honour by showing that the Australian people are better than its politicians.”

But Mr Ali said FPM demonstrators were not planning to enter the convention centre.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said she could not talk about numbers but that hundreds of regional members would be travelling to Melbourne for the event.

The spokeswoman said this was on top of metropolitan general duties police and specialist members, including from the public order response team, highway patrol units and the Mounted Branch.

The force’s state operations centre will be run from the Victoria Police Centre in Spencer St.

“This is expected to be our largest operation since the World Economic Forum in 2000,” the spokeswoman said.

S-11 protests against the World Economic Forum at Crown Casino in 2000. Picture: Craig Hughes

Police at the S-11 protests. Picture: Craig Hughes

Police remove protesters to allow American basketball team official to enter the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Melbourne in September 2000. Picture: Craig Wood

The WEF descended into chaos when up to 20,000 protesters converged on the Crown Casino.

There were violent clashes with police who were trying to break the demonstrators’ blockade of the venue.

Organisers had to ferry Prime Minister John Howard in by boat and West Australian Premier Richard Court was trapped in his car when it was surrounded outside the casino.

Busloads of delegates trying to get inside had to be turned back at the height of the drama.

The Victorian government said the event would be an opportunity to “meet and create investment opportunities.”

Military, both domestic and foreign, government and key industry players will be at the event.

The Land Forces website describes the expo as “the premier platform for interaction between defence, industry and government at all levels to meet, do business and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the global land defence markets.”