By Melissa Cunningham, Cameron Houston and Cassandra Morgan
Police have fired rubber bullets at protesters and deployed stun grenades into crowds during ugly clashes in Melbourne outside a major weapons expo.
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 International Land Defence Exposition, a three-day conference which bills itself as Australia’s largest defence industry exhibition.
Police officers were pelted with horse poo, rocks, eggs and rotten tomatoes, fires were lit in bins on the streets and anti-war protesters doused with pepper spray and tear gas.
The Age reporters witnessed at least eight arrests, including one woman for allegedly spitting at police. Victoria Police are yet to confirm the number of arrests.
Demonstrators began gathering outside the convention centre about 6am on Wednesday while others met in small groups around the CBD and marched towards the site from all sides.
Drums were banged, protesters chanted “free, free Palestine”, and some waved Palestinian flags as the sun rose over Melbourne’s CBD.
Hundreds later surrounded the entry to the convention centre, chanting “show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like” and “land forces you can’t hide. You’re supporting genocide.” Those attempting to enter the international defence military expo were met with screams of “shame”.
Anti-war activists say they are protesting against the Gaza war, and standing against the death and destruction brought by weapons of war.
Hundreds of regional and interstate police officers were called in to bolster security ahead of a protest expected to be Victoria’s largest since the World Economic Forum protests in 2000.
Police blocked ramps to the M1 freeway and West Gate Freeway, with significant traffic congestion banking up around the city.
Earlier on Wednesday, protesters attacked two men wearing suits who were attempting to enter the convention centre before police intervened.
Some demonstrators hurled rocks at police, while others screamed and sounded horns.
One mounted officer was seen whipping a protester to force them back from a police horse, while other officers deployed pepper spray on demonstrators.
As doors to the expo opened to the public at 9am, The Age saw police officers forcing a woman to the ground and yelling at her to put her hands behind her back as they attempted to arrest her. Protesters were heard yelling at officers in the background.
Fires burn during anti-war protests in Melbourne.Credit: Christopher Hopkins
Soon after, police were pelted by eggs during a stand-off on Clarendon Street Bridge.
The Age saw one protester lying on the ground bleeding after an unknown object hit him in the head.
Protesters berated men in suits as they walked past, with one demonstrator yelling: “You think you’re f—ing tough?”
Loud bangs were also heard in the distance, with people running from the sound. Some protesters were seen covering their mouths and ears.
Masked protesters have been hit with pepper spray.Credit: Justin McManus
Dozens of protesters, including an Age reporter, were overwhelmed by tear gas.
A police spokesperson said police had been granted special powers under the Terrorism Act ahead of the event, allowing officers to request identification and search vehicles in designated areas.
“To be clear, there is no intelligence to suggest the event is the target of any specific threat. However, the National Terrorism Threat Level is ‘probable’,” the spokesperson said.
Protesters from different activist groups, including Extinction Rebellion and Students for Palestine, have banded together to form a larger group, Disrupt Land Forces.
Police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters.Credit: Justin McManus
Blockade co-chair Bella Beiraghi said anti-war activists were flooding Melbourne ahead of the expo.
“Young people from across the country are flooding into Melbourne to blockade the Land Forces convention’s opening ceremony on Wednesday, because we stand against the death and destruction brought by weapons of war,” she said.
Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the actions of violent protesters
“I say to anyone going down to threaten police, to threaten community safety, [they] will absolutely be dealt with by Victoria Police,” Allan said.
“Victoria Police members are there doing their job. They are there doing their job, and they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”
While the premier was addressing the media on Wednesday morning, Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri left parliament to attend the protest, which Allan described as a political move to create division.
“She has turned her back on her role as representing the community of Richmond. They deserve better than that … if [she] can’t turn up and do her job as an elected member of parliament, she should hand back the keys to her office,” said Allan.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines said on Wednesday morning that Victoria Police, along with support from interstate officers from around the country, were well-equipped to deal with unruly protestors.
A protester at the Land Forces rally covered in pepper spray.Credit: Justin McManus
He also said some professional protestors from other states had travelled down to join in.
“It’s typical that there’s always a few people who want to show disrespect and break the law, and police will deal with it,” said Carbines.
“Here in Victoria, there are some who are absolutely professional protesters who seek to disrupt and cause havoc here in Melbourne, but police are well aware of who they are.”
Shadow Police Minister Brad Battin said he feared for the safety of Victorian police and said bringing in officers from regional and interstate showed the government had failed to adequately staff the force.
“They don’t have the numbers to deal with the protests today and at the same time keep the community safe. It’s disappointing in a state where you have to make a decision of putting extra resources into Melbourne or keeping regional communities safe.”
Protests kicked off earlier than expected on Friday night, with demonstrators vandalising Melbourne hotels with red paint.
An anti-war protester was arrested on Saturday for attaching herself to a car and blocking traffic on Melbourne’s West Gate Freeway for hours.
Police said a 27-year-old Kensington woman “affixed” herself to a car decorated to look like a reptile, and was blocking traffic at the Montague Street off-ramp in South Melbourne about 1.50pm Saturday. She was separated from the car about two hours later.
An anti-war demonstrator “affixed” herself to a car during a protest on the West Gate Freeway.Credit: Nine News
On Sunday morning, Montague Street was again blocked by a small group of protesters from Extinction Rebellion.
The biennial Land Forces International Land Defence Expo, previously held in Brisbane, attracts hundreds of defence personnel from around the world to the showcase of weapons and technology.
More than 800 domestic and international companies and leading organisations will take part.
Military equipment, heavy-duty trucks and semiautomatic guns will be on display during the three-day event, with at least one military tank discreetly delivered under a cloak of darkness at 3am on Saturday.
with Angus Delaney, Hanna Mills Turbet, Eliza Sum, AAP
Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.