Police in Sydney have used pepper spray and arrested 13 people after pro-Palestinian activists attempted to block access to a major defence exhibition featuring Israeli weapons manufacturers.
Dozens of demonstrators from the Palestine Action Group gathered outside the International Convention Centre, where the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition is being held. The group protested against the presence of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems’ Australian subsidiary, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Riot police and mounted units confronted the protesters, with officers using pepper spray as clashes broke out.
Josh Lees, an organiser with the Palestine Action Group, said protesters aimed to prevent the event from taking place, declaring that “this kind of abomination should not be held in our city.”
Israeli defence firms have faced similar demonstrations at arms expos globally. In September, Polish police questioned representatives of Elbit Systems and Rafael at a defence fair in Kielce after a journalist filed a complaint related to their involvement in the war in Gaza.