Police are expected to maintain their presence outside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre today after hundreds of officers clashed with anti-war protesters on Wednesday, resulting in dozens of injuries and arrests.
The Victorian Greens are calling for an inquiry into the police response at the Land Forces expo protests on Monday.Human rights groups have denounced police action against protesters in Melbourne on Wednesday, with the Victorian Greens calling for an independent inquiry.
Horse manure and low-level acid were thrown, hard foam rounds and synthetic capsicum spray were discharged, and loud explosions, plumes of thick white smoke and mounted police sent parts of the crowd running.Human rights activists and the Victorian Greens have since denounced the police's response, calling it excessive and dangerous.
In a statement, Disrupt Land Forces organisers said they were "appalled" at the level of violence, which involved "blows, kicks, boots on our throats". The groups wrote to Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes demanding the creation of a new independent body to investigate police. "Their conduct today was absolutely appalling … what we saw today was not peaceful protest. A number of my officers were attacked," he said.Chief Commissioner Patton said police had bottles, rocks and horse manure thrown at them, and were sprayed with liquid irritants, some of which was identified as containing a low-level acid.
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