Pro-Palestine protesters who allegedly chained themselves to the gates of a weapon systems company in Hume have been arrested and charged by police.
The four protesters were part of a larger group that tried to block employees of Electro Optic Systems (EOS) from entering their workplace on Monday morning.
The demonstration outside EOS began at 5am and continued till about 9.15am when police arrested those who used bicycle locks to allegedly chain themselves to the gates.
Police have charged two women and two people identifying as non-binary with unreasonable obstruction during an assembly.
"Police remind the community that peaceful protest is part of healthy democracy, however, criminal acts will not be tolerated," an ACT Policing spokesperson said.
The four protesters were released from custody on Monday afternoon and have been ordered to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.
The disruption was part of widespread protests against the war in Gaza and caused delays in major Australian cities on April 15.
The planned blockades targeted roads, ports, train stations and companies that manufactured and exported weapons technology.
The EOS's Hume branch is responsible for defence systems such as high-energy lasers, firepower and lethality systems, according to their website.
"The people must fight back, our government is doing nothing to stop our complicity," a protester can be heard in a video of the Hume incident.
Pro-Palestine protesters have been previously arrested in Melbourne and Sydney for blocking ports and roads, but this is the first time police have arrested protesters in Canberra.
In a similar case, climate activists had glued themselves to Minister for Finance and Women Katy Gallagher's office in February to protest the approval of a new coal mine.
