Multiple people have been arrested at a protest outside a weapons expo that erupted into chaos in Sydney.
Hundreds gathered at the city's Darling Harbour on Tuesday to protest the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, a three-day event billed as the "premier forum connecting Australian and international defence, industry, government, academia, and technology leaders".
The protest, organised by the Palestine Action Group, grew during the early morning before police began deploying pepper spray about 8am in an attempt to break up the surging crowd.
Ten people were arrested by late morning as police struggled to hold the crowd back.
"Police will have a presence at the assemblies and will work with protesters to ensure there are no breaches of the peace and there is minimal impact to the community," a spokeswoman said.
Riot police have been deployed, protecting an entrance to the expo at the International Convention Centre Sydney, about 100 metres from where demonstrators had gathered.
Much of the protest focused on the New South Wales government's role in hosting the convention amid the conflict in Gaza.
Exhibitors include Israeli weapons manufacturers and other firms supplying that nation's military.
"Chris Minns, blood on your hands," attendees chanted, referring to the NSW premier.
Mr Minns told ABC radio he was unaware of the circumstances surrounding the protests.
He added he was not responsible for invitations to the event and had no input into decisions regarding Australia's relationships with foreign countries or arms manufacturers.
"That's the Commonwealth government's responsibility, it's not mine," he said.
"What I would say is that they're not selling nuclear weapons down at Darling Harbor this weekend. It's a maritime conference relating to the navy."
The protest comes a year after similar scenes in Melbourne, when thousands of demonstrators clashed with police and attendees at a major defence and weapons expo.
Protesters lit multiple fires near the expo, blocked traffic and climbed on top of a truck.
