Anti-war protest leads to clash with police, mass arrests in Australia

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

CHAOS IN AUSTRALIA… AS ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE OUTSIDE A DEFENSE EXPO IN MELBOURNE WEDNESDAY– LEADING TO DOZENS OF ARRESTS– AND INJURING 27 OFFICERS AND SOME PROTESTERS.

PROTESTERS REPORTEDLY THREW HORSE MANURE, ROCKS AND SOME BOTTLES FILLED WITH ACID AT POLICE AND DOUSED SOME ATTENDEES WITH RED LIQUID.

ACTIVISTS ACCUSED POLICE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE– AS OFFICERS USED

FLASHBANG GRENADES AND TEARGAS TO DISPERSE THE CROWD.

AUTHORITIES SAY THEY TOOK DOZENS OF PEOPLE INTO CUSTODY ON A RANGE OF CHARGES– FROM ASSAULT TO ARSON.

A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL CALLED THE BEHAVIOR “DISGUSTING” AND WARNED POLICE WOULD NOT TOLERATE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR 

MORE THAN 12-HUNDRED PROTESTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE EVENT, ACCUSING ORGANIZERS OF PROMOTING WEAPONS OF WAR USED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA.

ONE-THOUSAND LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL RESPONDED TO THE DEMONSTRATION, WHICH, ACCORDING TO AUSTRALIA MEDIA, WAS THE LARGEST POLICE OPERATION IN MELBOURNE IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES.

THE EXPO GOES UNTIL FRIDAY AND AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES SAY EXPENSES FOR THE ADDED SECURITY MAY SOAR INTO THE 10 MILLION DOLLAR RANGE.

WE’LL BE SURE TO KEEP FOLLOWING THIS STORY– AND YOU CAN TOO BY DOWNLOADING THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISITING SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.