Protests in Melbourne Continue for Second Day as Police Increase Security, Reports Reuters

Anti-war groups continued their protests outside a defense exhibition in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, for a second consecutive day Thursday, following clashes between police and demonstrators the previous day that resulted in injuries to several officers.

Protesters filled the streets as police established new barricades to prevent crowds from accessing roads near the venue of the biennial Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition.

In what authorities described as the largest security operation in Melbourne since the World Economic Forum in 2000, riot squad officers and specialized personnel were deployed to manage the situation. Many additional police officers were dispatched from other areas in Victoria to assist.

The confrontations on Wednesday led to dozens of arrests, with police employing sponge grenades, flash-bang devices, and irritant sprays to control parts of the unruly crowd, which reportedly threw rocks, horse manure, and bottles at law enforcement and their horses.

Approximately 1,500 individuals gathered outside the venue, many chanting pro-Palestine slogans through loudspeakers and waving Palestinian flags, while others displayed signs and flags representing various other conflicts and causes.

According to Victoria state police, 22 individuals faced charges and 10 were issued infringement notices, while 27 police officers required medical attention.

Protesters claimed that authorities utilized rubber bullets and other munitions they argued should be prohibited against demonstrators, including pepper spray.

The violence during the protests, organized by a group identifying as ‘Disrupt Land Forces’, was strongly condemned by major political parties, though the minor left-wing Greens have called for an independent investigation into police conduct.

About 1,000 exhibiting organizations from 31 countries are anticipated to attend the event, which is touted as Australia’s largest defense expo. The three-day exhibition is set to conclude on Friday.