At least 10 people have been arrested after hundreds gathered to protest a state-government sponsored defence conference in Sydney, amid criticism that Israel's largest weapons companies were attending the event.
Protesters were left coughing and wiping their eyes after police used pepper spray on Tuesday morning after some people tried to break through metal barricades outside the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Darling Harbour.
A few hundred protesters had gathered at Tumbalong Park where police cordoned them into a fenced-in area across from the International Convention Centre (ICC) after rejecting a form 1 application to protest directly outside the conference.
The Palestine Action Group had planned to blockade the expo, but dozens of uniformed and mounted officers surrounded the ICC to prevent the event from being disrupted.
Josh Lees, an organiser for the group, said police were aggressive when protesters began to gather near Sydney's Imax theatre, using pepper spray and pushing the group towards the cordoned area.
Hannah Thomas, the former Greens candidate who was seriously injured during a protest in June, briefly spoke to the rally crowd. Chants of "shame", "long live Gaza" and "hands off the West Bank" rang out.
Thomas, who has undergone multiple rounds of surgery, told Guardian Australia the defence conference warranted the protest. "That event is fucked," she said.
In a statement, NSW police confirmed it had arrested 10 people.
"The safety and security of delegates at the venue and the wider community is paramount," NSW police said.
"Anyone who breaches the peace will be arrested. Police will continue to have a presence at the assemblies and will work with protestors to ensure there is minimal impact to the community."
NSW police said a group of protesters "allegedly left the designated area, failing to comply with police direction and attempted to access a restricted area". Later, "a group of protesters in the designated area allegedly advanced towards police and attempted to breach the police containment line".
Of the 10 people arrested, two were later released without charge. Four were taken to Day Street police station and four were taken to Surry Hills police station.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, defended the state government's sponsorship of the conference.
Speaking on ABC radio on Tuesday morning, Minns said the maritime sector was a "massive part" of the NSW economy, which he said would remain important as regions including the Hunter moved away from coal extraction.
Asked if he was comfortable with the attendance of Israel's largest weapons company, Elbit Systems, and the Israeli state-owned company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, he said: "I'm not responsible for the invitations."
"That's not me running away from ... who's invited to this particular summit.
"I have got little to no exposure or decision-making in relation to Australia's relationship with foreign countries and foreign arms manufacturers in relation to where it's used."