Local pub Todd Tavern was the scene of chaotic scenes on Tuesday:
The pub was attacked by up to 70 people, writes the Guardian. Video footage from the scene shows young people throwing themselves at the glass doors, and also objects being thrown at the pub.
Cars in the area had their windows smashed, and stones were thrown.
Later on, a fight also broke out between up to 150 people in a suburb outside the city, the police write in a press release. A total of five people have been arrested following the incidents, and several weapons have been seized.
Alice Springs is located in the middle of Australia, and is a popular destination for tourists who want to visit the famous rock formation Uluru, a few hours’ drive south-west of the city:
According to the police, the unrest is linked to the death of an 18-year-old boy on 8 March. He died in a car accident with a stolen car. On Tuesday there was a memorial service for him in Alice Springs.
– The death has led to family feuds, and that is what we witnessed in Alice Springs yesterday, says Michael Murphy of the police to the Guardian.
12 hour curfew
After the riots on Tuesday, a state of emergency has been declared in the city, and anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from staying in the city center between 6pm in the evening and 6am the next morning.
The curfew will last for two hours.
This was announced by Northern Territory police chief Eva Lawler at a press conference on Wednesday. 58 extra police officers will also be sent out into the streets.
– People have had enough, and so have I, says Lawler.
– We want people in Alice Springs to be able to walk down the street and feel safe, to be able to go to the shopping center and pick up their children from school without worrying about their own safety.
– This is terrifying
In the region where Alice Springs is located, more than 40 percent of the inhabitants belong to the country’s indigenous population, the Aborigines. The city is characterized by several social problems, and several violent incidents have recently been reported, writes the Sydney Morning Herald.
Alcohol abuse is pointed to as one of the main causes of the problems in the city.
The situation has created a political debate in Australia, and several politicians are now advocating that the federal authorities must intervene.
The city’s mayor Matt Paterson says ABC that he supports the curfew.
– Cruel is not enough to describe this. I have run out of words. I don’t know if there is a big enough roof to shout from, to shout that we need help, he writes on Facebook.
Australia is divided into various states and territories, and Alice Springs is located in the Northern Territory. The mayor now wants help from the federal authorities.
– It may sound dramatic, but I have asked that they must intervene here. They must override the authorities in the Northern Territory and intervene because this is dangerous, it is frightening, he tells ABC.
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who is the shadow minister for Australia’s indigenous peoples, also wants action. She believes the authorities should send in the defense to restore order in the city.
“Sheer madness”
Jared Sharp, who works at an organization that offers legal aid to Aboriginal people in the area, is opposed to the curfew.
– Young people won’t even know about it, they’ll just keep doing their thing, he says.
– And if they happen to be out after 6 p.m., the police will take them home or to a safe. But what is a safe place? What happens if their home is not safe? he asks.
Blair McFarland, who was recently named Northern Territory resident of the year for his work to combat petrol sniffing, which is a widespread problem in central Australia, is also opposed to the curfew.
– It’s clumsy, and it’s not going to help. It is just another thing that will make the young people angry and dissatisfied because they feel they are being punished, he says.
He calls the calls for the Australian Defense Force to intervene “pure madness”.
McFarland points out that homelessness among young people is a problem in the city, and that many do not have a safe place to go while there is a curfew.
