A vibrant anti-war protest outside the Indian Ocean Defence and Security (IODS) Conference on July 24 attracted more than 100 people.
The protest was supported by Stop AUKUS WA, Friends of Palestine WA, Students for Palestine, Unionists for Palestine and Nuclear Free WA.
Sam Wainwright from Stop AUKUS WA told on July 22 that the conference was part of a bipartisan push to make Australia a 鈥渕ajor weapons manufacturer鈥, coupled with Australia falling in behind the US鈥 鈥減ivot to Asia鈥, a term US strategists use to describe the planned military build-up in the region.
鈥淭hese two things came together at this conference,鈥 Wainwright said.
鈥淥rganisers are trying to help Australian businesses leverage off the massive defence expenditure coming down the line 鈥 AUKUS would be costing closer to $550 billion 鈥渁nd counting鈥.
Western Australia Greens Senator Derinda Cox and Hiba Farra from FOPWA addressed the protest as did Sophie McNeil, journalist and Greens candidate.
Among the conference鈥檚 sponsors are Babcock Australasia, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), L3 Harris, Thales and Navantia. All are implicated in Israel鈥檚 genocide in Gaza.
, in partnership with Curtin University, is also helping 鈥渢ransform Australia鈥檚 submarine industrial landscape to position the nation to operate nuclear submarines鈥.
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Among the touted conference highlights is a session with AUKUS navy chiefs from the United States, Britain and Australia on the 鈥渟afety of nuclear powered submarines鈥 鈥 an attempted justification of Labor鈥檚 $368 billion spend on nuclear-powered submarines.
Another protest is planned for July 25 at 12noon when Israeli weapons company Rafael Systems is promoting its 鈥減recision-strike technology鈥, responsible for the slaughter of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza. That protest is being organised by Students for Palestine WA.
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