Behind the scenes at Perth’s most controversial expo
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Perth to demonstrate against Australia's largest defence expo, leading to a significant police presence. The event, which features major global defence contractors, is being held in Western Australia for the first time.
Why it matters
The event underscores the ongoing tension between national security interests and public anti-war activism in Australia.
— 6:24pm , first published 12:10pm
Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Share A A A Hundreds of people have marched through Perth’s CBD to protest Australia’s biggest defence expo, which opened at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday.
It is the first time the Land Forces expo has been held in WA, and is the first such event since the Victorian expo in 2024, where protesters clashed with police .
Protesters march through Perth’s CBD on Tuesday evening. WAtoday Those ugly scenes triggered an extraordinary response from the Cook government ahead of this year’s event , including $11.5 million for security and a controversial act of parliament giving WA Police powers to ban activists from entering a security zone around the convention centre.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in