A group of protesters were filmed throwing horse poo at police officers as they tried to control a record-breaking crowd.
Victoria Police officers expected some 25,000 people to attend an anti-war march in Melbourne ahead of the Land Forces Defence Expo this week.
Deputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley slammed the planned action, saying those involved ‘need to get a job’.
‘My thoughts are for law enforcement, when confronted with these large numbers and our police and the people who keep us safe are diverted from all the things they need to be doing to address this sort of nonsense,’ she told The Guardian.
‘These people need to get a job … I back our defence industries every single day of the week and I know the Australians massively, absolutely do as well.’
The expo runs from Wednesday to Friday but some demonstrators began gathering in front of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre last Saturday.
Police officers were brought in from New South Wales to help cope with what’s anticipated to be the city’s largest protest in decades.
Early in the morning, the group moved from the convention centre, where police had turned out in force, and towards a major intersection in an attempt to block it, as mounted police tried to steer them away.
Anti-war protesters outside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre were filmed throwing horse faeces at mounted police
Officers were seen with faeces stuck to their helmets and uniforms as they attempted crowd control
Victoria Police officers expected some 25,000 people to attend an anti-war march in Melbourne ahead of the Land Forces Defence Expo
Footage emerged of protesters surrounding a police horse, with one person seen grabbing on its bridle as an officer sat on top of the animal.
Another disturbing video shows demonstrators throwing what appeared to be horse faeces at a group of mounted police.
Officers were seen with faeces stuck to their helmets and uniforms as they attempted to control the crowd, with some officers using capsicum spray.
Victoria Police was given ‘special powers’ under the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act in the area surrounding the exhibition centre until 11.59pm on September 15.
Under the powers it’s an offence to hinder a search or fail to comply with a direction to remove a face covering.
The expo runs from Wednesday to Friday but some demonstrators began gathering in front of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre last Saturday
Police officers were brought in from New South Wales to help cope with what’s anticipated to be the city’s largest protest in decades
Deputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley slammed the protest, saying those involved ‘need to get a job’
‘This is expected to be our largest operation since the World Economic Forum in 2000,’ a Victoria Police spokesman said.
‘A number of police will be dedicated to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to ensure the highest level of safety and security throughout the event.
‘This includes hundreds of regional police who will travel to Melbourne for the event in addition to metro general duties police and specialist police including the Public Order Response Team, Highway Patrol and Mounted Branch.’
More to come.
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