‘Stop arming Israel’: Six arrested after pro-Palestine protesters clash with police outside metal processing facility

Six pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested after clashing with police and demanding a company “stop arming Israel”.

Police have arrested six people in a clash with pro-Palestine protesters during a planned community picket of a metal processing facility.

About 60 protesters flocked to Electromold in Thomastown, Melbourne, on Wednesday morning, claiming the company is “supplying the means for genocide in Gaza”.

Protesters called for Electromold to “stop arming Israel” by ending contracts for F-35 fighter jet parts as well as transition away from weapons manufacturing to other industries.

Electromold, owned by Lovitt Technologies Australia, “specialises in defence, aerospace and commercial related processing and surface coatings”, as well as processing for Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Community organiser Lloyd Riman claimed Electromold was “supplying the means for genocide in Gaza”.

“We will not back down and call on the community to come down and support this grassroots action,” he said.

Protesters gathered outside Electromold in Thomastown last week. Picture NewsWire / Aaron Francis

Police officers arrived on the scene about 4.30am and made demands for the crowd to move on from blocking the front gate of the company.

Protesters reportedly refused.

Pepper spray was used and officers arrested three men and three women.

All six people have been released and are expected to be charged on summons with besetting premises, resist and hinder police.

No injuries were reported in the clash and the scene is now cleared, with investigations ongoing into criminal damage to the front gate of the premises.

The protest marks the fourth consecutive community action against the company, with about 250 protesters gathering last Friday with the intention of disrupting work for “as long as possible”.

Protesters are reportedly “sympathetic and supportive of workers” but are “uncompromising in their interventions into the weapons supply chain” according to a release sent out by organisers.

Police demanded the crowd move on, but protesters reportedly refused. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Organisers have also claimed the Labor government provides direct financial support to businesses such as Electromold to manufacture weapons, a leaflet handed out to local workers read.

“This is money that could be used to benefit the community. We think this money would be better spent on schools, hospitals or other social services,” the leaflet read.

“We don’t want to negatively affect the workers of Electromold or surrounding businesses. Your skills can be used to manufacture things we all need instead of producing parts for weapons used for genocide.”

The Unionists for Palestine X page reported a picket was established on Wednesday morning and claimed police were threatening “move on notices”.

“Cops on site threatening move on notices. Numbers still needed if you can get to Thomastown,” the post read.

Protesters also descended on the Boeing centre at the University of Queensland in May, denouncing the university’s ties to the US aerospace giant and weapons manufacturer for its alleged support for Israel.

At one point Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather led the protest and said the company’s products were “taking lives”.

“Standing behind us is Boeing, Boeing is Boeing planes, Boeing missiles and Boeing weapons that are tearing apart human flesh and that are destroying and taking lives, Palestinian lives,” Mr Chandler-Mather said as reported by The Courier Mail.