Police have praised climate activists after they protested at a major resources conference in Perth without any arrests.
About 400 demonstrators gathered outside Perth Convention Centre on Wednesday morning, where attendees at the Resources Technology Showcase included senior executives from BHP, Woodside Energy and Chevron Australia.
Activists had vowed to blockade the conference, but delegates and members of the public were not impeded from entering and there was no sign of conflict with a police force of close to 100 including nine mounted officers.
Protesters from groups including Extinction Rebellion and School Strike 4 Climate then marched through the city to Parliament House.
Source: AAP
A police spokesman said there were no arrests or move-on notices issued to demonstrators.
"The protest activity today was conducted in a safe and lawful manner and we thank the groups for their professionalism," he said.
WA police had promised to deploy the biggest security operation seen in Perth since dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2011.
But their presence at the main protest area was initially about two dozen officers, with numbers growing when another large group of activists arrived at the convention centre from Forrest Place in the city.
Protester Richard Birchall from Socialist Alternative said WA needed to transition from a reliance on oil and gas to renewable energy.
Police look on. Source: AAP
"I don't accept any argument that there's a counter-position between the interests of the workers in that industry and the future of the planet," he said.
"I think they're one and the same question and I think to solve one, you have to address the other."
