Three arrested as pro-Palestine protesters chain themselves to truck, block Avalon Airshow gates
Police have arrested three people after protesters locked themselves to a truck to stop crowds from entering the Avalon Airshow, sparking traffic chaos.
Victoria
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Police have arrested three people after protesters locked themselves to a truck blocking attendees from entering the Avalon Airshow.
In a move that sparked traffic chaos on Friday, two pro-Palestine supporters were pictured sitting on top of a rental truck parked across a road near the entrance to the air show.
“War pigs kill kids” was spray painted on a sheet hanging from the side of the rental truck.
What appears to be a policeman could be seen attempting to remove the pair on Friday afternoon.
“Locked on! Comrades have locked themselves on top of the ‘war pigs kill kids’ truck at Avalon Warshow,” the protest group said.
They also poured red paint over the truck and road.
Police had arrested three protesters by Friday afternoon
Pro-Palestine activists have targeted the major international event in recent days on several occasions.
They claim some of the aircraft on display has been used in the conflict in the Middle East among other reasons.
A handful of activists attempted to block attendees from entering the trade day on Wednesday before they were moved on.
In similar scenes last year, Extinction Rebellion activists ground traffic to a halt in and around the CBD when their demonstration blocked three lanes of traffic on the Westgate Bridge.
The truck was cleared from the bridge by Friday afternoon.
A Victoria Police spokesman said the force respected the right to protest, but Friday’s activists showed a “complete disregard for the rest of the community”.
“Selfishly blocking major roads prevents people from going to work, providing care to loved ones, and heavily impacts the ability of emergency services to assist the community,” he said.
Local officers and the Search and Rescue Squad removed the truck and protesters from the road.
“The incident caused significant disruption for drivers travelling on Beach Road and the Princes Freeway,” the spokesman said.
Police arrested a 68-year-old man with no fixed address, a 53-year-old Coburg North woman and a 47-year-old Collingwood man.
They spent Friday afternoon being interviewed.
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