By Brittany Busch and Erin Pearson
Protesters accused of obstructing police and causing chaos in central Melbourne during the Land Forces weapons expo in September will be able to return to the city for “peaceful” protests after a magistrate eased their bail conditions.
About 35 people, aged 20 to 57, charged over the violent protest had their cases heard back-to-back over more than two hours in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday in a room packed with the accused, supporters and lawyers.
Demonstrators rally in support of activists appearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday over the Land Forces expo protests.Credit: Simon Schluter
Outside court, demonstrators waved banners supporting those charged over clashes outside the weapons expo, where police fired rubber bullets at protesters and deployed stun grenades to disperse crowds.
Thirteen protesters indicated they planned to fight the charges, while police dropped charges against six. One chose to plead guilty. The rest are expected to return to court early next year.
A lawyer for protester Max Travis, 23, of Mount Waverley, requested that he be allowed back into the 3000 postcode so he could attend pro-Palestinian rallies on Sundays, which he described as peaceful.
Travis faces a string of charges including allegations he abused two police horsesand stole a riding crop during the September protest.
He is also charged with intentionally obstructing police, affray, theft and drug possession.
Supporters outside the court.Credit: Simon Schluter
The court heard that since his September arrest, Travis, like some others, had been banned from entering various places, as part of strict bail conditions.
He and others had restrictions lifted on Thursday as to where they could go within the CBD.
Others in court included Will Egan-Griffiths, 28, of Carlton North, charged with assaulting six police, abusing a police horse and using a wig as a disguise.
Harrison Kenny, 21, of Castlemaine, is charged with beating a police horse with a bread basket tray, and Thornbury’s Fiacre Ryan, 28, is accused of assaulting police and stealing an officer’s baton.
Munro Monroe, 27, of Coburg, faced court charged with attempting to push an officer off her horse, assaulting police and abusing a police horse. Monroe is also accused of causing unreasonable pain to the animal.
Rowan Edwards, 54, of Flemington, charged with hindering police, asked if details of his alleged offending could be withheld from the media, fearing the public may be unaware of what the charges mean.
“Can you force [the media] to put a statement with it?” he said.
“I can’t tell the press what to write,” magistrate Donna Bakos replied.
Dozens of police officers near Southbank during the Land Forces expo in September.Credit: Eddie Jim
After the hours-long hearings, drama continued outside the courtroom. A man was thrown to the ground in the court foyer and detained by security after allegedly filming inside the building.
Before being tackled to the ground, the man was seen confronting a protective services officer outside the ground-floor courtroom after the hearings, and appeared to resist when an officer reached for his phone.
After being released, he told the media: “They grabbed me, they threw me to the ground. They used force … that’s what police do.”
Victoria Police said in a statement that a 23-year-old from Balwyn North was expected to be charged on summons with assaulting an emergency services worker.
“The man was allegedly filming inside the court foyer with his phone, which is a breach of the condition of entry. When asked to stop, it’s alleged he then confronted the PSO,” police said.
On Thursday, dozens of protesters lined the court entrance on William Street, some wearing the traditional keffiyeh Middle Eastern headdress and clothing with the Extinction Rebellion logo.
One held a sign reading: “The warmongers are the real criminals.” Another was covered in fake blood.
A large police presence was on the steps of the court building. Officers used cameras to record the protesters.
In September, city roads were locked down, tram routes disrupted and police forced to escort delegates into the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on day one of the Land Forces expo, a three-day conference that billed itself as Australia’s largest defence industry exhibition.
The biennial expo was previously held in Brisbane and attracted hundreds of defence personnel from around the world to the showcase of weapons and technology.
Military equipment, heavy-duty trucks and semiautomatic guns were displayed during the three-day event.
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