The moment a young female crew member was bashed over the head for an incorrect order during a wild brawl in a packed McDonald’s has been captured in shocking phone camera footage.
Terrified families watched on and other customers tried to intervene in the attack, shut down the Melbourne Central shopping centre on Lonsdale Street on Wednesday morning.
The ‘violent and intense’ confrontation, which started at 11.45am and lasted ‘at least 10 minutes’, began when a young woman was given an incorrect order, bystander Kavindhi Ranasinghe told Daily Mail Australia.
Shocking footage shows a customer reaching across the counter and grabbing the young worker’s hair, before repeatedly smacking her in the head.
As her Macca’s colleagues rally around her, the girl’s friends – confirmed by police as aged between 12 and 17 – also appear to lash out, throwing punches and trying to jump the counter.
The store manager also boldly steps in, trying to protect his staff as the chaos ensues.
‘Once the screaming was getting louder and louder, things became increasingly more intense,’ Ms Ranasinghe explained.
‘It appeared that the order was incorrect, and the manager had tried to reason with them, but they were increasingly angry.’
The store was full of families, including those with small children.
The moment a young female McDonalds crew member was bashed over an incorrect order has been captured in shocking footage
Melbourne law student Kavindhi Ranasinghe witnessed the brutal fight in McDonalds and uploaded a video she took, claiming the staff were not at fault
Onlookers praised a young manager for protecting staff during the brutal 10 minute confrontation
‘The people waiting for their orders all moved away because the manager was trying to get them to step away, and drinks were being thrown and being splattered everywhere,’ Ms Ranasinghe added.
‘The staff member was extremely scared.
‘The girls attempted to jump over the counters several times.’
She said the worker’s manager was ‘amazing’.
‘He continuously kept protecting the staff during the fight,’ Ms Ranasinghe said.
‘He kept asking the girls not to touch his staff, it was clear he was extremely angry because he could tell the workers were afraid and I can imagine they’d be worried about their job.’
The four girls were ‘arrested’, she claimed, and the store was closed until at least 1pm.
Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the same group of girls had been involved in an alleged robbery at Melbourne Central Railway shortly before the altercation in McDonalds.
A 15 year old girl had
They also confirmed four girls were arrested at the shopping centre.
She decided to upload the footage to social media when she realised the staff did nothing wrong but could be at risk of losing their jobs.
‘My main concern was that the workers would be treated at fault when they weren’t,’ she explained.
‘These workers are getting paid minimum wage and they’re being beaten up over some fast food.’
‘I can imagine the younger staff would be shaken by this event.’
She suggested McDonald’s does a ‘wellness check’ on the young staff members.
Ms Ranasinghe’s clip was shared to Reddit by one of the store’s crew members.
‘Please don’t treat hospitality workers like this,’ the staff member pleaded.
‘As someone who works at this store, please help those who are being affected if the danger wont affect you as well, even if it means calling the cops, it’ll mean a lot, thank you.’
On Reddit most appeared to support the McDonald’s crew, especially the young manager.
‘Far out good to see a manager standing up for his employees. Gets right in between them pushes them right back.’
An older male also tried to calm the situation down as it quickly escalated
One of the four girls walks away from the counter as the scene turns into a full scale brawl
Victoria police confirmed that detectives arrested four teenagers following an alleged robbery and assault in Melbourne’s CBD on Wednesday, 21 September.
‘A group of girls allegedly approached a 15-year-old girl on a platform at Melbourne Central railway station and made demands for her handbag about 11.20am,’ a police statement said.
‘The girl sustained minor injuries during the incident.
‘The group of teens allegedly fled the scene, before being involved in a physical altercation at a fast-food restaurant a short time later.
‘It is alleged staff were assaulted and the four girls were arrested at the scene.’
Police said a St Kilda girl, 17, ‘is expected to be charged on summons’, while a Mill Park girl, 12, a Coburg North girl, 13, and a Preston girl, 14, received cautions for attempted robbery, recklessly cause injury and affray.
Daily Mail Australia contacted McDonalds for comment.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk