Over 25,000 protesters have gathered in Melbourne today, meeting in the CBD to voice their opposition to the Land Forces International Defence Exposition.
As protesters chanted: “Shame on you, how does it feel to murder babies”, the biennial arms expo takes place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre where defence and weapons companies gathered from all over the world.
While the event (and protests) occur every couple of years, this year’s protests have been particularly intense, here’s why.
What is the Land Forces Expo?
So, what exactly is the Land Forces International Defence Exposition? It’s basically the go-to event for anyone involved in land defence — think military officials, industry leaders, and government representatives.
Running from September 11-13 this year, the expo showcases the latest and greatest in defense technology, equipment, and services. This year, over 800 exhibitors are on hand, including big names like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems.
It’s a huge networking opportunity, with various business-to-business interactions and events like the Army Innovation Day — which is as dystopian as it sounds. The Australian Government is keen on promoting the defence industry workforce, making this expo a key event in that mission.
Notably, this year marks a shift, as the expo is being held in Melbourne for the first time after previously taking place in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Why are people protesting?
“Activists from all over Australia are hitting the streets today, all here for the same cause — to stand up for those who can’t anymore because of the fucking weapons they’re celebrating in [the convention],” a protester told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
Although there have been protests against the expo in the past, this year’s efforts have ramped up because of the situation in Gaza. Disrupt Land Forces is the main group in charge of the protests, however there are many people involved in the operation.
“We have over 50 conglomerations like Students For Palestine, Nurses For Palestine, even Extinction Rebellion, climate change organisations — it’s all connected,” explained a protester.
Disrupt Land Forces open letter states the reason for the protest is: “We unequivocally oppose the glorification of death, destruction, and genocide being carried out with weapons developed on this continent and showcased at Land Forces.”
The group is also concerned about the types of weapons being displayed during the expo. “Many of the weapons inside the convention centre are advertised as battle-tested. In the context of Israeli weapons firms, which are present, this means tested through killing civilians in Gaza,” Disrupt Land Forces spokeswoman Jasmine Duff said.
The scale of the operation
Today many protesters ran in fear after hearing flare gun shots through the air. Others who stayed chanted “hands up — don’t shoot”, as police stared them down with tear gas guns and rubber bullets.
However, this will not be the end of tension between protesters and police. The expo being a three day event means that the protests will also be going on for three days. “We will not stop until the suits in there understand they have blood on their hands,” a protester said to PEDESTRIAN.TV.
Thursday’s rally will be at 4:30pm to oppose Australia’s government spending on contracts with Hanwha, a South Korean weapons company. According to Disrupt Land Forces, “Hanwha has partnered with Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, to build military vehicles for the Australian Defence Force in Avalon.”
Friday’s event is unique take on a protest, with a zombie themed rally to “rave against the machine”. Protesters are encouraged to “dress to distress” as they “take revenge on the harms dealers at the Land Forces expo”.
On the law enforcement side, Victoria Police have ramped up their presence for what they’re calling their largest operation since the protests against the World Economic Forum back in 2000.
With a police presence estimated to cost between $10 and $15 million, hundreds of officers have been deployed to manage the anticipated chaos and have been given “special powers”.
Although there is no concrete definition of “special powers”, today police carried pepper spray, were armed with rubber bullets and shot tear gas and smoke bombs into the crowd. “Things only escalate when the police choose to escalate things,” claimed one protester.
With thousands of voices united for a common cause, it’s clear that many Australians are calling for a serious rethink of our nation’s role in war and a stronger commitment to peace over militarisation.
“We won’t stop fighting for the thousands of souls the people in that exhibition centre have helped kill,” a protester said to PEDESTRIAN.TV.
The post ‘Blood On Their Hands’: Why 25,000 Protesters Are Demonstrating In Melbourne’s CBD appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
