ADM: Congress: Canberra conference delegates disrupted by protests, bomb scares
Panic broke out after a rock was hurled through a window and a suspicious package was found at a defence conference in Canberra.
Protesters have smashed a window at a major military conference in Canberra, which later had to be evacuated during a speech by the Defence Industry Minister after police discovered a suspicious bag inside the venue.
On Wednesday morning panic broke out inside the historic Hyatt Hotel when a rock was hurled through a window as Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond was delivering the opening address to the ADM Congress.
Witnesses inside the event told The Nightly that several attendees fled from the conference room when it was initially thought gunshots had been fired, and soon after the bomb squad was called in to examine objects thrown into the room.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Just two hours later the conference was again disrupted as Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was delivering the main address, with police clearing the room after the discovery of a suspicious backpack in the audience.
Those attending the conference were eventually allowed back in with the Minister returning an hour later to continue his speech on government initiatives in the defence industry sector.
Following the rock attack, roads around the back of the Hyatt Hotel, which is located close to the Chinese embassy, were closed by police for several hours.
When asked about the incident earlier in the day, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeated his previous calls for people to “turn the temperature down” across Australian society.
“That does nothing to advance a cause. That just alienates people from whatever the supposed cause this person has done,” he told reporters in Tasmania, adding that anyone who broke the law should face the full force of the law.
Before his speech was evacuated, Minister Conroy told representatives of local military companies that he recognised “there are ongoing challenges for industry and not everything is happening as fast or efficiently as we would like”.
The Minister also announced plans to establish an Advanced Capability Investment Fund with help from the venture capital market, to help finance advanced military capabilities and possible future exports.
Each year the ADM Congress, draws around 500 delegates from local defence industry, the Australian Defence Force, as well as overseas experts.
This year’s speakers included Vice Admiral Hammond, Army Major General Jason Blain as well as a series of experts in national security.
A separate protest calling on the Government to “sanction Israel” and “cut all ties with organisations complicit in genocide” had been advertised to take place later in the day, but it remains unclear if it linked to the two earlier events that disrupted the conference.
Details of the rally were published online prior to the conference, claiming to be hosted by Students and Staff Against War ANU and Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).
A page published on the website Green Left said the protest would also call on the Government to “remove restrictions on Palestine protests and on the right to criticise Israel”.
