The mayor of the Australian city of Alice Springs asks the federal authorities to intervene in the situation.
Reporting from Sydney
The short version
- A two-week evening and night-time curfew has been imposed on anyone under the age of 18 in the Australian city of Alice Springs.
- The reason is two incidents that occurred on Tuesday of this week, with clashes and vandalism of a bar.
- The city regularly makes headlines in the Australian media due to social problems, alcohol use and youth crime.
- The city mayor is asking the federal authorities in Australia to help deal with the situation.
A local bar, Todd Tavern, was the scene of chaotic scenes on Tuesday:
The pub was attacked by up to 70 young men. writes The Guardian. Video footage from the scene shows young people throwing themselves through the glass doors, and objects being thrown into the bar.
Car windows were smashed in the area and stones were thrown.
Later, a fight also broke out between up to 150 people in a suburb of the city, police wrote in a statement. press release. Five people were arrested following the events, and a number of weapons were confiscated.
Alice Springs is located in central Australia, and is a popular destination for tourists who want to visit the famous Uluru rock formation, a few hours' drive southwest of the city:
According to police, the disturbances are linked to the death of an 18-year-old boy on March 8. He died in a car accident with a stolen car. On Tuesday, a memorial service was held for him in Alice Springs.
– The death led to family disputes, and this is what we witnessed in Alice Springs yesterday, says Michael Murphy of the police to the Guardian.
Curfew 12 hours
After Tuesday's chaos, a state of emergency was declared in the city, and anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from remaining in the city center between 6pm and 6am the next morning.
The curfew will last for two weeks.
Northern Territory Police Chief Constable Eva Lawler made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday. An additional 58 police officers will also be sent to the streets.
– People are tired, and so am I, says the police chief.
– We want people in Alice Springs to be able to walk down the street and feel safe, and to be able to go to the shopping center and pick up their children from school without worrying about their safety.
– This is Terrifying
In the area where Alice Springs is located, They belong to more than 40 percent of the population The indigenous people of the country, the indigenous people. The city suffers from many social problems, and several violent incidents have been reported recently, he writes Sydney Morning Herald.
Alcohol abuse is cited as one of the main causes of problems in the city.
This situation has sparked political controversy in Australia, and many politicians are now calling for federal authorities to intervene.
says Mayor Matt Patterson ABC He supports the curfew.
Cruelty is not enough to describe this. I'm out of words. I don't know if there is a ceiling big enough to scream from, to scream that we need help, he writes on Facebook.
Australia is divided into different states and territories, and Alice Springs is located in the Northern Territory. The mayor now wants help from federal authorities.
– It may seem exciting, but I asked them to intervene here. He told the ABC: “They should bypass the authorities in the Northern Territory and intervene because this is dangerous and scary.”
Also Jacinta Nambijinpa Price, who's who Shadow Minister For Indigenous Australians, he wants work. She believes that the authorities should send defense forces to restore order in the city.
“Sheer madness”
Jared Sharp, who works for an organization that provides legal assistance to Indigenous people in the area, opposes the curfew.
– He says that the young people will not even know about it, and will continue to do their work.
– If they go out after 6 p.m., the police will take them home or to a safe place. But what is a safe place? What happens if their home is unsafe? Asked.
And also Blair McFarland, who was recently named Northern Territory Resident of the Year for his work No more gas inhalationThis is a widespread problem in the region, and the curfew is opposed.
-It's stupid, and it won't help. He adds that this is just another thing that will make young people angry and dissatisfied because they feel they are being punished.
He described calls for the Australian Defense Force to intervene as “sheer madness”.
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