Land Forces protesters face court after home raids

On 11 September, more than 1,500 people gathered outside the Melbourne Convention Centre to protest against some of the world’s most prominent purveyors of and profiteers from violence. Companies such as BAE Systems and Israel’s Elbit Systems were just two of the many bloody corporations displaying military hardware.

They were here for the Land Forces 2024 International Land Defence Exposition, an event celebrating the defence and weapons industry. In the context of Israel’s war on Gaza, a convention filled with the manufacturers of war in our city felt like a punch in the face.

Since then, more than 100 activists have been charged for attending the protests. Most have been arrested in home raids, where police have shown up in large numbers to intimidate Palestine solidarity activists. Up to fifteen officers were sent to the home of two Melbourne students. The state has seized on the opportunity to ramp up the repression of Palestine solidarity activism after more than a year of protests.

Jos Downey, a member of Students for Palestine and one of those arrested, told Red Flag: “They were intimidating, following us around and all in body armour with guns. They were super aggressive when banging on the door and they got cranky about us recording and calling a lawyer”.

Jack Gardner, another member of Students for Palestine, related a similar experience when speaking to Red Flag:

“I woke to three police officers in my bedroom, who arrested me for being at the Land Forces protest. I was patted down, searched and then handcuffed and told I would be taken to the station to be charged with several ‘crimes’ while another team of police went through my belongings and filmed my house for ‘evidence’. Six armed police officers were sent to arrest me, one university student, for the crime of attending a protest. It’s pretty nuts the lengths the police and the government will go to, to intimidate activists who are standing up against genocide and war.”

The groundwork for a heavy police response was laid before the protest began. The media campaigned in the weeks leading up to the expo, preparing everyone for a strong police presence. It was called the biggest police operation since the World Economic Forum protests in 2000, which attracted 25,000 protesters. The operation reportedly cost the Victorian government $15 million. NSW police decked in riot gear were bussed down for the event.

Officers were equipped with rubber bullets, tear gas and OC spray. These weapons were fired indiscriminately as a line of police advanced into the crowd on the first day. By the end of the day, up to 100 protesters needed medical attention, according to the Melbourne activist legal support team.

That evening in a press conference, commissioner Shane Patton defended the brutality of his force, saying: “I couldn’t be prouder of the officers down there and to see the way they used restraint when confronted by people intent on provoking violence”.

Sergio, a member of Socialist Alternative who was arrested, told Red Flag what that “restraint” looked like:

“A riot squad officer raced forward and struck me on the back so forcefully that I fell to the ground. As I tried to get up, another officer pushed me from behind and I fell into the back legs of a riot officer in front of me. As I lay on the ground, the riot officer in front of me punched me repeatedly as I was kneed in the back and [had] my hands tied up.”

The arrests after the conference are a continuation of this aggressive approach. It’s clear that the state is using intimidation to try to shut down Palestine activism, and they’re creating a narrative to justify it. The anti-war protesters are being framed as violent criminals to justify the excessive force displayed by the police.

On 21 November, the arrestees had their first court hearing. At 9am, around 35 activists were called into the Magistrates Court for what’s known as a “mention hearing”, which sets the future date of the full hearing of charges.

Almost an hour before the beginning of the hearing, a rally had been organised in solidarity with those charged. More than 50 people turned up, with signs that read, “Defend the right to protest” and “War mongers are the real criminals”.

Oskar Martin, a representative from Students for Palestine, addressed the crowd: “We have the right to demonstrate and free speech—this means being able to stand for Palestine and being against a heinous genocide that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions”.

Moments after the rally began, a line of cops appeared, pushing protesters off the court’s steps, off the footpath and onto the road. Four arrestees tried to take a photo together and were promptly pushed off the pavement again.

The hours-long proceeding was mostly at capacity in the courtroom. Nearly all the activists—those who had been charged and their supporters—stayed in the room for each other’s mentions. Despite the stultifying atmosphere of a magistrate courtroom, there was an air of solidarity. It was a visibly pro-Palestine crowd, a sea of black and white keffiyehs.

Fundamentally, this case will be a test of the right to protest, something that must be defended. The police should be held accountable for their excessive use of force, and all charges against the Land Forces protesters should be dropped.