Australia: Protesters Demand NSW Police Facilitate Peaceful Protest At The Indo Pacific Weapons Expo

“We notified the NSW Police on October 13 that we intended to hold a peaceful protest at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Expo on November 4 at the International Convention Centre. But only this morning did they inform us they would not allow us to protest nearby. Instead, they have directed us to protest at Tumbalong Park — out of sight of the Expo venue.

“We vigorously object and call on the NSW government to direct police to facilitate our peaceful protest,” said organiser Denis Doherty of the Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition.

The Expo includes an exhibition by weapons companies that have profited massively from Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

“We have been petitioning both the NSW and Federal Government to cancel this event given the magnitude of the destruction and massacre of civilian Palestinian men, women and children, and because it is part of the AUKUS strategy for a catastrophic war with China,” said Doherty. “Hundred of letters have been sent to the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and the Premier to stop this event. The NSW government response was that tourist dollars were more important than human rights.”

The protest organisers accuse the state and federal governments of protecting the profiteers of genocide, rather than international humanitarian law and the democratic right of NSW citizens to protest. “We commend the City of Sydney Council on its call for this Expo to stop and for no more weapons bazaars to be held in the City,” Doherty said.

“We call on the NSW Government to instruct the police to assist with our reasonable demands to be placed between Cockle Bay and the ICC,” Doherty concluded.

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