Inside Melbourne’s violent anti-war protests

When I first arrived at the front entrance to the Land Forces Expo at dawn yesterday, there was little sign of what would become Melbourne's most violent demonstrations since the 2000 World Economic Forum riots. No more than 20 people were picketing half-heartedly in front of a line of almost twice as many police.

Realising nothing much was happening there, I headed along the riverside towards the back entrance. Turning a corner, I was engulfed by a sea of protesters. Chants of "Free Palestine" and "Intifada" echoed off the walls. While the demonstration claimed to be protesting defence industries, Palestine was clearly the issue spurring the anger.

Panic quickly kicked in. I’m Jewish. My father is Israeli-born. I was there as a photographer, but I felt afraid as an Australian Jew.

The scene rapidly devolved from a typical protest to something much more threatening. Black-clad anarchists and activists hiding their faces with keffiyehs clashed with police, who had been authorised to use special powers under the Terrorism Act. Roads were closed, a “ring of steel” fence was installed and the area was heavily fortified, with thousands of police managing more than 1,000 protesters.

The ABC reported that police arrested 42 protesters for various offences on Wednesday, including assault, arson and blocking roadways, and 27 officers required medical treatment.

My most pressing issues were avoiding being hit in the head by a rock or knocked over by a horse, as mounted police sought to gain control of the scene. The smell of horse manure was bad enough, but when protesters began using it as projectiles, I had to evade getting covered in the stuff.