Curfew for youth after town unrest

Sydney – Australia’s Outback capital Alice Springs introduced a two-week curfew yesterday for those under 18 as authorities in the troubled community grappled with a recent surge in unrest.

The town of 25 000, which sits in the middle of Australia, has long struggled with crime and social difficulties, fanned in part by tensions between the Aboriginal and white communities and problems with alcohol consumption.

Recently it has been particularly on edge since the death of a teenager, who died when the allegedly stolen car he was in crashed two weeks ago.

A funeral was held for the teenager on Tuesday, with violence flaring afterwards that authorities pinned on family disputes.

“Young people involved in that ceremony took it upon themselves to go to the Todd Tavern where some other family members were that they didn’t share a harmonious relationship with, and then started attacking the premises with rocks and bricks,” Northern Territory police commissioner Michael Murphy said.

Police said up to 150 people were involved in the pub attack, a separate brawl and other incidents on Tuesday.

Started last night, the new curfew will apply to those under 18 years old in the city centre from 6pm to 6am for two weeks.

Northern Territory chief minister Eva Lawler said those in violation of the order would be “taken home or taken to a safe place” if found.

The government will also deploy 58 additional police officers to Alice Springs to enforce the curfew, she said. “The scenes [on Tuesday] in Alice Springs were horrific, unacceptable, and we never want to see anything like that again in the Northern Territory,” she said.

“The community has had enough and so have I.”

The violent incident is just the latest unrest to hit beleaguered Alice Springs, which has become something of a political football in Canberra over the years, serving as a litmus test for rival politicians’ toughness on crime.

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson said violence and unrest in the community had been getting “worse and worse for many years”.

“But Tuesday was the worst I have ever seen in Alice Springs. It was the tipping point.” –