Protesters target defence expo

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin has accused anti-Israel activists of latching onto other protest movements to maintain relevance following violent clashes at a Sydney defence conference.

“Since the end of the war, we have seen anti-Israel activists latch onto other protest movements in order to maintain their relevance, have something to do, and grow their numbers. But Australians have seen through their lies and manipulations,” said Ryvchin.

“They now claim to be anti-war yet many cheered Hamas’s invasion and the subsequent attacks by Iran and Hezbollah. We also offer our support to the men and women of the police, who are trying to do their jobs, keep Australians safe, in the face of relentless abuse, intimidation and in some cases, violence by protestors.”

NSW Police charged 12 people following the protest outside the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition at the Sydney International Convention Centre on Tuesday morning.

According to the ABC, riot squad, dog and mounted unit police briefly clashed with protesters as they shouted chants and waved Palestinian flags, with officers deploying pepper spray multiple times into the crowd.