A huge brawl broke out at a shopping centre in Alice Springs – the latest shocking spate of violence to strike the troubled Outback town.
Footage recorded at Yeperenye Shopping Centre on Tuesday shows a group of young people throwing chairs and chasing after each other to exchange blows.
The violence sent staff and shoppers scurrying for cover as it spread through the busy mall.
It is unclear what sparked the chaos or exactly who was involved – though dozens appeared to be caught up in the violence.
Footage recorded at Yeperenye Shopping Centre shows a group of young people throwing chairs and chasing after each other to exchange blows
It is unclear what sparked the chaos or exactly who was involved – though dozens appeared to be caught up in the violence
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NT Police for comment.
The incident is just the latest in a string of violent attacks in the Outback town, which is plagued by gangs of youths trashing businesses and robbing homes.
Partial alcohol bans are also in place in the town – despite grumbles from locals.
‘No Grog today but this ain’t going away,’ one person posted on social media.
Another wrote: ‘Our town is at breaking point!’
‘What an absolute disgrace. The AFP needs to be brought in to restore order, this is absolutely unacceptable,’ a third said.
Other locals stated they are now too terrified to visit the area.
‘Sorry store owners of Yeperenye – no go zone for me until things improve – just not worth the trauma – so sad for everyone,’ one person wrote.
Another added: ‘Seeing and hearing about Alice, I’m so close to cancelling all my plans to visit in April. l have elderly people with me and I don’t think I want them to be confronted with this.’
On Monday afternoon in a separate incident, a teenager was set upon by axe-wielding youths in a horrific broad daylight attack.
Alice Springs Hospital worker Namfon Fon, who moved to the town from Thailand to be with her partner, posted a warning on Facebook following the assault of her son near Sammy’s Pizza.
Ms Fon’s 16-year-old son was walking in the Alice suburb of Braitling when three young persons attacked him.
‘They have an axe and hit him multiple times in his face, stomach, leg and other parts of his body,’ she said.
The violence sent staff and shoppers scurrying for cover as it spread through the busy mall
Alice Springs police have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia a teenage boy who allegedly struck Ms Fon’s son with ‘an edged weapon’ has since been arrested.
Disturbing video of the assault shows three young males – one wielding an axe or hatchet – laying into the teenager, hitting and kicking him as he cowers in a park.
Video of the attack, which is believed to have taken place in Rhonda Diano Oval, shows two males in black T-shirts and an axe-wielder grunting as they beat the 16-year-old.
Ms Fon said it was ‘very sad to end up in ED after you get attacked by your own community’.
‘This town has become a nightmare for everybody,’ she said. ‘Stay safe.’
Despite violence and crime being part of Alice Springs life, the situation has worsened in the 10 months since the Northern Territory Government lifted alcohol restrictions.
A campaign by a local baker and activist Darren Clarke gained national headlines this week, forcing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to make a flying visit and impose partial alcohol bans.
During the brief visit to the town last week, Mr Albanese also promised $48.8 million over two years for programs to address the crime problem.
The incident is just the latest in a string of violent attacks in the Outback town
Meanwhile, police have charged two males for a home invasion of a 75-year-old woman who was robbed while being threatened with a blunt weapon.
Alice Springs Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Rob Kent said it was ‘absolutely disgusting that vulnerable members of our community have been preyed upon in this manner’.
A child care centre was also smashed up, forcing it to close down while forensic police attended the crime scene and tradespeople repaired the damage.
This comes a day after video emerged of a town pub battlefront on one of Alice Springs’s main streets last Saturday night with locals under siege by belligerent teenagers and adults.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk