The demonstrators attacked a military gear sales event in Australia’s second-biggest city, throwing rocks, excrement, and acid-filled bottles at the police, who expressed their “appalled” reaction.
In contrast, demonstrators claimed that police used excessive force and retaliated by using irritant sprays and flashbang grenades to subdue the unruly mob.
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, denounced the violence and stated that people had the right to protest but they had to do it peacefully.
Mr. Albanese told local reporters, “You don’t say you’re against defense equipment by throwing things at police.” “We should respect our police officers because they have a job to do.”
About 1,200 individuals, many of whom were wearing Palestinian flags and singing pro-Palestinian songs, participated in the rally against the Land Forces International Land Defense Exposition, according to the authorities.
Over 1,000 firms from 31 nations are slated to attend the event, which police had predicted would cause trouble. The expo, which is closed to the general public, brings together international delegations from the military, defense, government, science, and business sectors.
According to the local media, there have been semi-automatic weapons, trucks, and military equipment on exhibit throughout the conference. Protesters claimed that many of the weapons on display had been used by Israeli forces in Gaza, which is why they were against their being displayed.
