Hundreds protest against Australia's largest defence expo in Perth
Protesters held placards, some of which opposed the AUKUS submarine deal. (ABC News: Courtney Withers )
About 400 people have gathered to peacefully protest Australia's biggest land defence expo held in Perth this year, two years after violent clashes at demonstrations against the event's last iteration in Melbourne.
Protesters in opposition to the Land Forces event can be seen holding various placards and signs that read "there is no future in war" and "warmongers not welcome".
Protesters at Yagan Square against the Land Forces Expo. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
The planned protest, consisting of 35 organisations, will hold speeches in Yagan Square before marching to Elizabeth Quay, close to where the expo is held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A heavy police presence can be seen surrounding the group with vans and police vehicles close by.
The protest is met with a heavy police presence. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
A traditional smoking ceremony was held by Noon at Elders at Yagan Square, before the start of the March.
Extra powers
The biennial Land Forces conference, featuring industry representatives from 60 countries, is being held between October 6 and 8 at Perth's Convention and Exhibition Centre, featuring almost 1,000 exhibiting organisations.
WA police were given 10 days of temporary extra powers for the event, which included the ability to ban "excluded persons" from the expo and its dedicated security zone outside the convention centre.
A new facial recognition system currently being trialled by WA police will likely be used to help enforce those bans.
In the lead-up to Land Forces, police deemed Greens staffer Matilda Lane-Rose an excluded person, but she was now permitted to enter the event's area for a "short window" on Tuesday to film content, after she lodged a complaint in the Supreme Court.
Police Minister Reece Whitby has described the police response, which included an extra $11.5 million to provide security for the event, as the "biggest police operation" in the state.
An armoured vehicle on display at Perth's Land Forces expo. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
When the expo was held in Melbourne in 2024, there were ugly scenes as protesters clashed with police.
Hundreds of officers were called in and 24 police members were injured, while dozens of protesters were arrested in Victoria's capital, where officers arrested people for offences like assault, obscuring or hindering police, arson and blocking roadways.
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