- Temporary powers to keep the community safe have now ended after 10 days
- Organised protest on Tuesday, 6 October resulted in zero arrests and zero move on notices
- Cook Labor Government thanks WA Police and protest organisers for working together to ensure a safe peaceful protest
The Cook Labor Government's special powers have kept the Western Australian community safe after a peaceful Land Forces 2026 Expo.
WA Police were equipped with temporary powers between 1 and 10 October for the Land Forces conference that brought thousands of domestic and international delegates to Perth.
Hundreds of people exercised their right to peacefully protest during the conference that resulted in zero arrests and zero move on notices.
WA Police worked closely with protest organisers in the lead up and during the protest to ensure police, the public, protesters and delegates were kept safe.
The Cook Labor Government's priority was ensuring the Land Forces event continued safely for the entirety of the police powers period.
The Police operation for the Land Forces 2026 Expo required significant planning and preparation as it was the largest Police operation in Western Australia since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2011.
The powers were strictly time-limited and will be subject to a post-event review, with a report to be tabled in Parliament.
Comments attributed to Police Minister Reece Whitby:
"Land Forces 2026 showed that people can exercise their right to peacefully protest while ensuring the safety of the wider community.
"I want to thank WA Police for engaging closely with protest organisers, helping ensure any demonstrations could take place safely and that the event proceeded without the violence in Melbourne at the same conference two years ago.
"We wanted to make sure Police had the tools required to deal with any violence or disruptive behaviour before it occurred."
