Anti-war protesters in Australia clash with police outside a weapons convention

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Anti-war protesters clashed with police on Wednesday outside a military arms convention in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Protesters hurled bottles, rocks and horse manure, a police statement said. They also sprayed officers with liquid irritants, some of which were identified as acid, police said.

Police retaliated with pepper spray, flash distraction devices and rubber bullets, which are designed to inflict pain without penetrating the skin.

At least 24 officers required medical treatment. Police arrested 39 protesters for offenses such as assault, arson and blocking roadways.

“Victoria Police is appalled at the behavior of some of the protesters,” the statement said, referring to the Victoria state force.

Around 1,800 police officers have been deployed to a Melbourne convention center where the Land Forces International Land Defense Exposition is taking place through Friday.

Some of the convention attendees also were assaulted, police said.

Protesters also threw rocks, horse manure and tomatoes at police horses and officers with shields and wearing riot gear. A police officer on horseback struck a protester with a riding crop and a line of police were seen forcing protesters away from the convention center.

Police said some protesters targeted the horses, but no animal sustained serious injury.

Roads have been closed and traffic was disrupted by the protests, organized by Students for Palestine and Disrupt Wars groups. The organizers hoped up to 25,000 protesters would turn out.

Police estimated 1,200 protesters had surrounded the convention center by noon.

Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said it was the state police force's biggest planned deployment since Melbourne hosted the World Economic Forum in 2000 and backed his officers' use of force. He said the protesters had planned for conflict.

"They come here to protest ... anti-war so presumably anti-violence," Patton told reporters. “The only way I can describe them is a bunch of hypocrites.”

Students for Palestine national co-convenor Jasmine Duff blamed police for the protest violence.

“They used serious weapons on peace activists that should be banned for use on demonstrators, including pepper spray, which is classified as a chemical weapon,” Duff said in a statement.

“They hit us with batons, including hitting one man so hard he had to go to hospital and they shot us with rubber bullets,” she added.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called on protesters to show respect for police.

“People have a right to protest peacefully, but you don’t say you’re opposed to defense equipment by throwing things at police,” Albanese told Seven Network television. “They’ve got a job to do and our police officers should be respected at all times."

The organizer of the biennial convention, AMDA Foundation, said it would not comment on protester activity.

The gathering brings together arms industry figures from Australia, the United States, Asia and Europe. In 2022, the convention was held in the city of Brisbane where protests were more subdued.

A protester gestures as Victorian police clash with anti-war protesters outside a military arms convention in downtown Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

A protester gestures to Victorian police at an anti-war protest outside a military arms convention in downtown Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Con Chronis/AAP Image via AP)

Victoria Police man barricades outside a military arms convention in downtown Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)

Victoria Police clash with anti-war protesters outside a military arms convention in downtown Melbourne, Australia,Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

Victoria Police clash with anti-war protesters outside a military arms convention in downtown Melbourne, Australia,Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Joel Carret/AAP Image via AP)

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has rewarded Kamindu Mendis for his profitable tour of England by moving him up the batting order for the two-test series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday in Galle.

Mendis reaped a century and two half-centuries from his fourth, fifth and sixth career tests over the past month in England, where he was Sri Lanka's player of the series lost 2-1. In his brief test career, he has three hundreds and four fifties.

It was time to move him from No. 7 to No. 5 in the lineup, Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya said on Tuesday.

“There was lot of discussion that Kamindu has to move up the order when we were in England. Too often he was batting with the tail and we felt that we need to make the best use of him,” Jayasuriya said.

Former captain Dinesh Chandimal, who occupied the No. 5 slot, has been moved to No. 3 and stripped of wicketkeeping duty. Kusal Mendis, no relation to Kamindu, will keep wickets and bat at No. 7.

Sri Lanka is expected to make two more changes from the side that beat England in the third test last week at the Oval. Seam bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Milan Ratnayake are expected to make way for spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis.

“Our fast bowlers have done well, but it's horses for courses and we have to back spin in Galle,” Jayasuriya said.

Spin-friendly Galle favors the home team, but New Zealand has done well in these contests. Sri Lanka last won a series against the Black Caps in 2009. The last two series in Sri Lanka in 2012 and 2019 ended 1-1.

New Zealand has retired Sri Lanka great Rangana Herath on its staff to help its spinners, but the weather might be a bigger influence. The forecast across the test is not good.

The visitors will be used to that. Rain and a soggy outfield washed out all five days of New Zealand's scheduled one-off test against Afghanistan last week in Greater Noida, India. That was also to be New Zealand's warmup for this series.

“Disappointing, no doubt, but we cannot control the weather,” New Zealand captain Tim Southee said. “It would have been nice to have a test match against an ever improving side. However, we have had some good training and have spent time together both in India and in Galle.”

While New Zealand hasn't played a test since March, it won't be cold for long.

“Eight test matches between now and December is lot of cricket. We are excited," Southee said. "We are ranked three in the World Test Championship and it’s an opportunity for us to get some points and move forward.”

He has another personal milestone in sight, too. Southee needs 20 more wickets to become the second New Zealander to take 400 in tests after Richard Hadlee's 431.

“I have played for a long time and when you do that you come closer to these milestones,” said Southee, who has 100 caps. “We have a lot of tours ahead. Especially in this part of the world. Every game you are going out to do your role and take wickets for the side. It will be nice if I can achieve those milestones. But the focus is on winning games.”

Lineups:

Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson and Will Young.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis during day three of the Third Rothesay Men's Test at The Kia Oval, London, Sunday Sept. 8, 2024. ( John Walton/PA via AP)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis bats during day two of the Third Rothesay Men's Test match between England and Sri Lanka in London, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)