Thirteen people have been arrested after hundreds gathered to protest a state government-sponsored defence conference in Sydney, amid criticism that Israel’s largest weapons companies were attending the event.
Protesters were left coughing and wiping their eyes after police used pepper spray on Tuesday morning, after some people tried to break through metal barricades outside the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Darling Harbour.
A few hundred protesters had gathered at Tumbalong Park where police cordoned them into a fenced-in area across from the International Convention Centre (ICC) after rejecting a form 1 application to protest directly outside the conference.
The Palestine Action Group had planned to blockade the expo, but dozens of uniformed and mounted officers surrounded the ICC to prevent the event from being disrupted.
Josh Lees, an organiser for the group, said police were aggressive when protesters began to gather near Sydney’s Imax theatre, using pepper spray and pushing the group towards the cordoned area.
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Hannah Thomas, the former Greens candidate who was seriously injured during a protest in June, briefly spoke to the crowd. Chants of “shame”, “long live Gaza” and “hands off the West Bank” rang out.
Thomas, who has undergone multiple rounds of surgery, told Guardian Australia the defence conference warranted the protest. “That event is fucked,” she said.
In a statement, New South Wales police confirmed it had arrested 13 people.
“The safety and security of delegates at the venue and the wider community is paramount,” NSW police said.
“Police will continue to have a presence at the assemblies and will work with protesters to ensure there is minimal impact to the community.”
NSW police said a group of protesters “allegedly left the designated area, failing to comply with police direction and attempted to access a restricted area”. Later, “a group of protesters in the designated area allegedly advanced towards police and attempted to breach the police containment line”.
Of those arrested, at least two were later released without charge.
Supt Paul Dunstan said officers would remain in the area throughout the day and anyone breaching the peace would “be arrested and dealt with accordingly”.
An Australian subsidiary of Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems, and the state-owned company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, are showcasing weapons to buyers in Sydney.
Before the expo, Chris Sidoti, a former member of the UN commission of inquiry that found Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, alleged the two companies were “key enablers” of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people. He criticised the Australian defence department’s involvement with the expo as a “key stakeholder”.
“Clearly, it shouldn’t be happening,” Sidoti said in late October. “[Defence’s] involvement constitutes failing to act to prevent genocide, failing to act to ensure respect for the fourth Geneva convention and aiding and assisting the perpetuation of Israeli unlawful acts.”
The state Labor MLC Cameron Murphy, a long-term supporter of Palestine, said before the event that he was “appalled we are hosting companies that are complicit in genocide to exhibit in Sydney”.
The City of Sydney council also condemned the event, with the lord mayor, Clover Moore, urging the NSW premier, Chris Minns, to “support the course of peace, not violence”.
Elbit Systems, Rafael and the Australian defence department were contacted for comment at the time.
When asked on Tuesday about Rafael’s presence at the expo, given its links to alleged war crimes by Israel’s military in Gaza, a company spokesperson said: “We don’t deal with politics.”
“We’re here to talk about how to help Australia, how to help New Zealand, how to help our other allies increase their security. We have a lot of meetings scheduled today.”
Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull attended the expo and told Guardian Australia that protesters had a “right to protest”, but he didn’t buy into arguments that the federal government could be breaching its international obligations by trading with Israeli weapons manufacturers.
“Today is about A, defending Australia, and B, supporting technology,” he said.
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson said on Tuesday: “Australia has clear obligations under international law, and I’m seriously concerned that the state of NSW is in breach of Australia’s obligations to prevent genocide by endorsing and showcasing weapons corporations who are directly linked to Israel’s genocide in Gaza in the heart of Sydney.”
Minns defended the state government’s sponsorship of the conference.
Speaking on ABC radio on Tuesday morning, Minns said the maritime sector was a “massive part” of the NSW economy, which he said would remain important as regions including the Hunter moved away from coal extraction.
Asked if he was comfortable with the attendance of Elbit Systems and Rafael, he said: “I’m not responsible for the invitations.”
“That’s not me running away from … who’s invited to this particular summit.
“I have got little to no exposure or decision-making in relation to Australia’s relationship with foreign countries and foreign arms manufacturers in relation to where it’s used.”
The AMDA Foundation, which facilitates discussions between the Australian military and weapons companies, previously told Guardian Australia that the conference enabled “access to emerging technologies, industrial solutions and global expertise that contribute to Australia’s sovereign capability and maritime security”.
A weapons expo in Melbourne in September 2024 sparked major protests, with thousands converging on the event and more than 110 people arrested.
The Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition attracted hundreds of defence personnel from around the world, with more than 800 domestic and international companies involved.
