Police and protesters both claim they were ‘set upon’ as pepper spray deployed outside Sydney weapons expo | Sydney

13 people have been arrested following alleged violent clashes between New South Wales police and protesters outside a state government-sponsored advocacy conference in Sydney.

It was claimed that both police officers and protesters were injured in the demonstration organized by the Palestine Action Group outside the building on Tuesday. Indo Pacific International Maritime Fair at the International Convention Center (ICC) in Darling Harbour, amid criticism that Israel’s largest arms companies will attend the event.

Police said they were creating an exclusion zone when they were set upon by protesters, prompting police to use measures including pepper spray to force demonstrators back to a cordoned off area. Sydney city district police commander Supt Paul Dunstan said two police officers were injured during the protest, one with wounds to his face and the other having to have paint drained from his eye after protesters allegedly threw paint at officers.

But Palestine Action Group organizer Josh Lees rejected Dunstan’s account of the initial clash, saying protesters “were attacked as soon as we arrived”.

“The police attacked us from every angle. They immediately started pepper-spraying people, attacking people, riding horses.”

Lees said about 50 protesters, including himself, were “fired at with violent pepper spray” during the protest.

Amy Baran, 28, said she broke her knee trying to prevent herself from falling on top of other protesters during the initial confrontation as police pushed the crowd back. “The crowd went one way, my leg went the other way.”

He was taken to St Vincent’s hospital where an X-ray and CT scan confirmed the injury.

NSW police said there were no reports of injuries to protesters. A spokesman for NSW Ambulance said it was at the scene and treating patients from the protest with minor injuries but could not say how many.

The Palestine Action Group had announced plans to blockade the conference, but on Tuesday morning dozens of uniformed and mounted police surrounded the ICC to prevent disruption of the event.

Supt Dunstan said a group of 50 to 100 people marched towards police “directly in our line”. “I was set up,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “The police did not come out with the intention of using force… we had to use an amount of force commensurate with the force we were imposing on them.”

Another group, the Anti-Aukus Coalition, was told by police to gather in Tumbalong Park after their form 1 application to march directly to the convention was rejected. Dunstan said this group was not involved in clashes with police.

Lees claimed protesters were “walking towards the advertised assembly point for our demonstration” when they were “attacked”.

Police later used pepper spray again and arrested several people after protesters began clearing part of the metal barricade in Tumbalong Park.

At least two of the 13 protesters arrested were later released without charge. Those still in custody had not yet been charged as of Tuesday afternoon, but Dunstan said the charges would include assaulting police officers and resisting arrest.

Former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas, who was seriously injured during a protest in June, spoke briefly to the crowd at Tumbalong Park. Chants of “Shame”, “Long live Gaza” and “Hands off the West Bank” were raised.

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Thomas, who has undergone multiple surgeries, told Guardian Australia the defense conference justified the protest. “This incident sucks,” he said.

Dunstan said police would continue to maintain a “strong presence” around the defense conference, which ends on Thursday. Lees said he did not know whether the Palestine Action Group would hold additional protests at the event.

“This is a congress that brings together some of the major arms companies that have committed genocide in Gaza over the last two years,” he said.

The Australian subsidiary of Israel’s largest arms company, Elbit Systems, and the state-owned company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, are displaying the weapons to buyers in Sydney.

Before the fair, Chris Sidoti, a former member of the UN commission of inquiry that found Israel committed genocide in Gaza, claimed the two companies were “key facilitators” of war crimes against the Palestinian people and crimes against humanity. He criticized the Australian defense ministry’s participation in the fair as a “major stakeholder”.

Asked on Tuesday about Rafael’s presence at the fair due to its connection to alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli army in Gaza, a company spokesman said: “We are not interested in politics.”

“We’re here to talk about how we can help Australia, New Zealand, our other allies improve their security. We have a lot of meetings today.”

Elbit Systems has been contacted for comment.

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 “huge part” of the NSW economy and would remain important as regions including the Hunter move away from coal extraction.

When asked if he was happy with the involvement of Elbit Systems and Rafael, he said: “I am not responsible for the invitations.”

“I am not the one avoiding the person invited to this special summit.

“I have little or no knowledge of where it is used in relation to Australia’s dealings with foreign countries and foreign arms manufacturers.”

An arms fair in Melbourne in September 2024 sparked major protests; Thousands of people gathered at the event and more than 110 people were arrested.

The Land Forces International Land Defense Fair attracted the attention of hundreds of defense personnel from around the world, with the participation of more than 800 domestic and international companies.