Five people have been arrested following protests at the Geelong-based office of Defence Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday.
A number of pro-Palestinian protesters chained themselves to equipment at the Brougham Street office at about 10am, in opposition to the federal government’s support of Israel following Hamas attacks in the middle-east.
The group of ‘Anti-Zionist’ protesters erected signs and banners around the building, reading messages such as ‘ALP supports ethnic cleansing’ and ‘stop the genocide.
Police were called shortly after the group arrived, where five people were arrested at the scene and released pending summons in relation to trespassing.
They include a 24-year-old Coburg man, a 25-year-old Thornbury man, a 21-year-old Brunswick woman, a 31-year-old Northern Territory woman and a 37-year-old Northern Territory woman.
Richard Marles’ office has been contacted for comment, the Corio MP is currently in the United States for talks with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
