Land Forces in Perth: Australia’s major defence expo draws anti-war protests

Top defence industry executives from 60 countries, nearly 1,000 exhibiting organisations, additional police powers for 10 days and an extra A$11.5 million in security funding. These are among the measures surrounding the opening of Australia’s major defence exhibition, Land Forces, in Perth, Western Australia, for the first time.

The defence industry conference and trade exhibition is being promoted as an opportunity to explore the latest land defence technologies and connect with leaders from across the sector.

However, the event has also sparked controversy, with several organisations planning protests against the weapons and military technologies being showcased. The Western Australian Government is concerned about a repeat of the clashes that took place during the Land Forces exhibition in Melbourne in 2024.

That has raised a broader question: who is Land Forces really for, and what role does Western Australia play in hosting it?

What is Land Forces?

Land Forces is an international defence industry exhibition held in Australia every two years. This year’s event is being held in Perth for the first time.

Western Australian Police Minister Reece Whitby said last week that the event was important to the state for “strategic, commercial and many other reasons”.

The Western Australian Government views Land Forces as a major international conference, particularly at a time when the state is seeking to expand its defence industry. The event is being seen as an opportunity to attract investment and strengthen Western Australia’s position in the global defence sector.

As part of the exhibition, delegates from countries across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Asia and North America will visit Henderson, an important centre for Australia’s defence industry and a key hub for the Australia-United Kingdom-United States defence partnership known as AUKUS.

The delegates will also visit the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct in Neerabup.

The Western Australian Government hopes the defence industry visits and exhibition will help attract future investment, diversify the state’s economy and create new local jobs.

Questions over weapons and military technology

While the state government sees defence industry development as an important part of its economic strategy, questions have been raised about the weapons and military technologies being displayed at the exhibition.

Several participating companies develop technologies including counter-drone systems and artificial intelligence-powered autonomous combat systems. Some of these autonomous systems are designed to operate at scale and, in some cases, to work collectively in what is known as a “swarm” approach.

Western Australian Premier and Defence Industry Minister Roger Cook said on Sunday that the defence industry represented an important area of opportunity for the state.

“We cannot ignore or put our heads in the sand about the fact that we live in a geopolitically very important and strategic part of the world,” he said.

Police Minister Reece Whitby has also highlighted the significance of the exhibition, saying it is connected to Western Australia’s “strategic security” and is therefore important to the state.

Questions over public funding

Both the state and federal governments are providing funding for Land Forces. However, the amount of public money being spent on the event has not been disclosed.

The organisers have declined to reveal the total cost of staging the exhibition. The Western Australian Government has also cited commercial confidentiality when asked how much it is contributing.

That has raised questions about how much taxpayers are ultimately paying for a major international defence exhibition funded partly by government money. Critics argue that because the funding comes from taxpayers, the public should have the right to know how much is being spent.

Extra A$11.5 million for security

Extensive security measures have been put in place across Western Australia for Land Forces. Police Minister Reece Whitby has described the operation as the largest police deployment in the state’s history.

He said the operation was even larger than the police operation mounted during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM.

An additional A$11.5 million has been allocated to police for security operations. Under new legislation, police have also been granted temporary additional powers.

These powers allow police to prohibit specified individuals from entering the Land Forces exhibition and designated security areas outside the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

People who are banned from entering the restricted areas can still protest from outside the security zone.

The restrictions have already triggered controversy, with people expressing anger on social media.

Court complaint leads to limited access

Matilda Lane-Rose, the social media manager for the Western Australian Greens, lodged a complaint in the Supreme Court of Western Australia through her lawyers.

She was subsequently allowed to enter the exhibition area for a limited period on Tuesday to record video.

“I just want to be able to move freely around the city where I live and where I work. This is a step towards allowing me to do that,” Lane-Rose said.

Police said that when complaints of this nature are received, they assess the circumstances and contact the relevant individuals. Depending on the situation, their access may be restricted or reduced.

Government determined to avoid a repeat of Melbourne

The 2024 Land Forces exhibition in Melbourne was accompanied by major protests and clashes between demonstrators and police. The Western Australian Government is determined to avoid a similar situation in Perth.

Premier Roger Cook said the state had learned from the Victorian experience that people would want to protest against the Land Forces conference. However, he said he respected the right to protest in a democratic society.

“They have a right to protest. But they need to protest peacefully, respectfully and within the laws of the state,” he said.

However, Western Australian Greens MLC Sophie McNeill said the protest environment in Western Australia was different from that on the east coast.

She said Western Australia had a culture of peaceful protest and questioned the need to spend A$11.5 million on new equipment for police.

Protest organisers also promise peaceful action

Protest organisers have also said they want their actions to remain peaceful and non-violent.

As part of the planned demonstrations, protesters are expected to march from Yagan Square towards Elizabeth Quay.

Sam Wainwright of the Western Australia Anti-War Collective said suggestions that protesters could become violent were a “smokescreen”.

“The idea that there could be violence from protesters is really a smokescreen. The real issue is the activities of the people and organisations exhibiting there,” he said.

As Land Forces gets under way, police will closely monitor the situation. At the same time, taxpayers will be watching to see whether the scale of the event and the security operation represent a reasonable use of public money, while debate continues over whether military technologies displayed at the exhibition should be subject to protest.

The Western Australian Government sees Land Forces as a major opportunity to attract investment, create jobs and expand the state’s defence industry. Peace and anti-war organisations, however, are questioning whether hosting an exhibition of weapons and military technologies, and spending substantial public money on its security, is consistent with the broader public interest.