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Dozens arrested after clashes at anti-war protest in Melbourne

Dozens of people have been arrested after clashes with police at an anti-war protest in Melbourne.

Police said they were “shocked” by the actions of some protesters who headed for a military parade in Australia’s second-largest city, accusing them of pelting police with rocks, manure and bottles filled with acid.

In contrast, protesters said the police were aggressive and responded with flashbang bombs and tear gas to control the hostile crowd.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the violence, saying Australians had the right to protest – but they should do so peacefully.

“You don’t say you are against self-defense equipment by throwing at the police,” Mr Albanese told local media. “They have a job to do and our police officers must be respected at all times.”

Authorities said around 1,200 people took part in the protest against the Land Forces International Land Defense Exposition, many of whom waved Palestinian flags and sang pro-Palestinian songs.

Police were expecting chaos ahead of the event, which is expected to attract more than 1,000 companies from 31 countries in the coming days. The exhibition, which is not open to the public, brings together military, defense, government, scientific and industrial delegates from around the world.

Local media reported that military weapons, trucks and automatic weapons were on display during the meeting. The activists said they are protesting as they say many weapons are being used by the Israeli army in Gaza.

Images showed dumpers being pushed into police lines during the clashes, with many fires lit across the city and protesters blocking the streets. Another activist is riding on top of a truck stopped at traffic lights.

About twenty policemen were treated for injuries during the violence, said the Chief Commissioner of Police in the province, Shane Patton. He told reporters that 39 people were arrested in Wednesday’s clashes.

Commissioner Patton accused those inciting violence as “hypocrites”, adding that the protesters said they wanted to “protest against the war, maybe [were] anti-violence”.

But his officials have been criticized by protesters for being heavy-handed. Organizers said they were “shocked by the level of violence against members of the public protesting for peace”.

“The police were very violent with the protesters today, like never before,” said Jasmine Duff, an activist with Students for Palestine.

“They used flashbang bombs, they were brutally blowing people up.”

Some reporters have reported seeing rubber bullets knocking out police, but Commissioner Patton said the projectiles were actually sticks of rigid foam.

Officials say around A$10m (£7.6m) has been spent on extra police to protect the event, with officers reportedly brought in from New South Wales.

“It’s sad that $10 million was spent on police,” said one of the organizers of the protest group, Anneke Demanuele of Students for Palestine, told ABC News.

The Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, defended the state’s plan to host the event, saying delegates had the right to meet in Melbourne.

“Any industry deserves the right to have these kinds of events in a peaceful and respectful manner,” he said.


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