Two men arrested after ‘altercation’ in heart of Melbourne CBD as Extinction Rebellion, pro-Palestine demonstrators protest

Two people have been arrested following chaotic scenes on the streets of Melbourne, after dual protests against an international weapons expo converged.

In a statement, Victoria Police confirmed about 1500 people attended a demonstration on Sunday, which started at the State Library.

It is understood a smaller group of protesters were involved in an altercation with a man on Bourke St, a Victoria Police spokesman said.

The man was allegedly assaulted and his property damaged.

Two officers were allegedly assaulted while attempting to intervene.

A 20-year-old Craigieburn man and a 49-year-old Broadmeadows man were arrested at the scene.

They were both released from custody and are expected to be charged on summons with assault and resist police offences.

Investigations are ongoing into the initial altercation.

There were no physical injuries.

It follows planned Extinction Rebellion and pro-Palestine protests rallying against the Land Forces International Defence exhibition over the weekend.

Scheduled to run from September 11 to 13, it will bring together almost 1000 exhibitions from 31 countries in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Pro-Palestine protests against the upcoming Land Forces expo are underway, with one woman using a car to block a Melbourne freeway.

Ahead of the event, the protest groups labelled it a “one stop genocide shop”.

Extinction Rebellion protesters marched through the streets on Sunday and were joined by pro-Palestine forces.

Both groups and their police presences met at one point.

It followed police deploying more than 1200 officers to patrol the site, which was fenced off for security on Friday.

In a public notice, Victoria Police said the Supreme Court of Victoria had authorised “special powers” under the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act for an area surrounding the exhibition centre.

Until 11.59pm on Sunday September 15, officers have been granted powers to stop and search anyone within the area, with it being an offence to hinder a search or fail to comply with a direction to remove a face covering or leave.

Last month, Police Minister Anthony Carbines issued a warning to activists saying anyone who resorted to violence would be met with “the full force of the law”.

“If you’re not going to abide by the law, if you’re not going to protest peacefully, if you’re not going to show respect and decency, then you’ll be met with the full force of the law,” he said.

Protest action kicked off on Friday night when hotels, believed to be occupied by defence personnel, were vandalised with red paint.

On Saturday, an activist was arrested after chaining herself to a car on the Montague St freeway exit ramp.

On Sunday Extinction Rebellion protesters were met with a heavy police presence as the marched along Montague St.

The protest movement, Disrupt Land Forces, have called for an arms embargo with Israel and an “end to all weapons exports to states engaged in genocide and militarised repression”.

“We unequivocally oppose the glorification of death, destruction, and genocide being carried out with weapons developed on this continent and showcased at Land Forces,” Disrupt Land Forces said in an open letter.

“From Palestine to West Papua, these companies facilitate murder, displacement, land desecration, and colonisation, in the name of western imperialist interests.”