WATCH: Machete riot erupts in Alice Springs as ‘warring families’ clash in street
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Footage of “warring families” in the centre of Alice Springs and featuring machetes, rocks, tables and a fleeing car has renewed calls for more police support on the ground.
The footage shows about a dozen people – at least three armed with machetes – throwing rocks, a chair and a machete at a man who fled in a car just after 1pm on Friday.
The fight broke out in one of Alice Springs’ most public areas, and just meters from where the town’s $4.8m Tourism Central Australia and Visitor Information Centre is to be constructed.
A riot in Alice Springs on Friday just after 1pm resulted in several arrests by police. Picture: Supplied to The Australian
A man appears to pelt a rock at another man. Picture: Supplied to The Australian
A group of men can be seen attacking a man who jumps into a battered Holden Commodore parked in the carpark of the town’s library before fleeing down Gregory Terrace, the main street in town, at high speed.
After the driver fled, the men picked up various metal objects and ran to the Todd River, where police made several arrests. Two unmarked police cars could be seen at the Todd River, where locals were yelling at each other.
Three people could be seen fighting in the river, which had swollen just days ago but is now mostly dry, with officers tackling one man to the ground, placing him under arrest.
A woman who appeared to be interfering with the arrest was pushed to the ground by a female police officer, before the officer appeared to be struck. The woman was arrested. A police source said that while the investigation was in its infancy, it was believed that the disturbance was caused by “warring families”.
A police spokesman said a 50-year-old male was taken to hospital after suffering a laceration to his back after being allegedly assaulted with an “edged weapon”.
The car sped away. Picture: Supplied to The Australian
A police spokesman said two 21-year-old males and an 18-year-old female had been arrested.
“The 21-year-old was arrested by members from the Dog Operations Unit and general duties officers in the Todd River after a foot pursuit,” police said.
“A second 21-year-old male and an 18-year-old female were also arrested in relation to the disturbance.
Police said the trio were in police custody, and that charges were expected to follow and that investigations were ongoing to identify other individuals.
The person who captured the video told The Australian he first heard people yelling “get weapons” before he saw the men drawing machetes from beneath their shirts. “It was surreal, like we know the streets of Alice aren’t safe, there’s so much going on,” he said.
The man said the town had come to “boiling point”.
“I’ve seen machetes being used, I’ve seen traditional weapons, but we’re at boiling point. I’m sure if they did searches of cars you’d find machetes in boots, I think the weapons are always in society.
“We’re not seeing the cops on the ground, it’s always a knee-jerk reaction, so after this we’ll find we’ll get a big presence of foot patrols and probably the horseback, and there’ll be a big knee jerk, but we’re at a point now where everything’s been wound down. Anything goes on the streets of Alice.”
He said that while he welcomed the NT government’s stronger approach to edged weapons, incidents that he had witnessed showed that more needed to be done.
Last year the government passed “Declan’s Law” which significantly expanded police powers to conduct “wanding” in public places. The legislation, which was introduced following the murder of 20-year-old bottleshop worker Declan Laverty, also legislated a presumption against bail for youth and adult serious violence offenders.
Breach of bail became an offence for all, with electronic monitoring mandatory for those granted bail.
An increased police presence in the town would not be welcomed by all, NT Police currently undergoing an independent review by interstate police into use of force after the death of a Aboriginal man Kumanjayi White in Alice Springs in May last year.
The Warlpiri man died after being restrained by two off-duty police officers at a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs on May 27 following what police described as an altercation with a security guard.
