Casino’s Instagram ‘fight club’ has teens brawling in the streets

A sickening fight club phenomenon has been uncovered in a country town, with crowds gathering in the street to watch bare-fisted brawls between kids. SEE THE VIDEO.

A sickening fight club phenomenon where crowds gather to watch and film teenagers in bare-fisted brawls has been uncovered in a country town, with senior police and locals now pleading for parents to step in.

NSW Police are now investigating the vicious incidents in the town of Casino, in the NSW Northern Rivers region, after dozens of fights in the middle of the town’s streets were videoed and shared to Instagram.

The videos are captioned with the names of the two youngsters who are going toe-to-toe.

Gathered around them are primary school-aged children, teens and parents, who gather on the roadside to watch the fights, with some even shouting encouragement like “hit her” or “get him” to those involved.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood slammed the adults who failed to step in to stop what he described as “crimes”. He said while the local officers would do their job, “it takes a village to raise a child”.

Disturbing footage has emerged of organised street brawls in the northern NSW town of Casino, all of which has been posted to Instagram.

Large crowds have regularly gathered on the street to watch the bare-fisted brawls.

“My view is, the people who are watching these fights are as bad as the people fighting,” Mr Wood told The Daily Telegraph.

“Especially when you look at the fights and see adults among the ones encouraging them and failing to even attempt to stop them, it is beyond belief.

“In terms of social media platforms being utilised, these trends go beyond stupidity and recklessness, these acts are crimes.

“Filming yourself committing a crime and posting the video online is a sure-fire way to get yourself arrested.

“We have an ongoing relationship with a large amount of social media providers, including the regulative authority, which includes the capability and capacity to have vision like this removed.

“It’s clear in my mind that this isn’t just a police issue, this is also a community issue. Everyone has to take responsibility and buy in. In line with the old adage ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ … that’s what I am talking about.”

Bystanders film the fights, with much of the footage uploaded to Instagram.

It is understood officers from the Richmond Police District have reviewed the Instagram page and found it features videos of recent fights as well as older clashes.

No charges have so far been laid.

Within hours of Instagram being alerted to the page by The Daily Telegraph, the social media giant moved to disable the account and all videos.

Casino made headlines last year after the fatal stabbings of two young men in the space of just a few weeks.

Fed-up locals in the town have also created a prominent local Facebook page called Casino Crime Reports, similar to the Action for Alice page that shone a light on the issues plaguing Alice Springs.

Richmond Valley Council Deputy Mayor Stephen Morrissey, who has lived in Casino all his life, said things were only “getting worse”.

“Casino has a problem with youth and crime, you’re seeing it all the time,” Mr Morrissey said.

“A lot of the comments you see on Facebook are: ‘Where are the parents of the kids?’ It just seems to be getting worse as time goes on.

Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Bystanders pour into the street to watch the brawls.

“They are talking about trying to bring back the blue light disco days, just to get some activities for kids. Our sports stadium was flooded so that’s been out of action, there’s a whole range of problems for the kids.”

Mr Wood, who oversees the state’s Youth Command, said the town had experienced a rise in youth crime in the Casino and Lismore area since the devastation of the 2022 floods.

He said police would continue to use a mix of programs and initiatives around school, sport and other areas to curb the issue, as well as their powers as police.

“The Richmond Police District, in conjunction with the Youth Command, have instigated historical and contemporary intervention programs,” Mr Wood said.

“They include school engagement, sporting partnerships in conjunction with the PCYC, use of ambassadors to help influence community behaviour, and wide ranging programs both in and out of school hours.

“But it is also important to remember that we as police have a responsibility to ensure community safety, and when appropriate the use of disruptive strategies like arrest and people need to always be considered.”

Local residents on Churchill Crescent, which has been a regular arena for fights in recent months, said they were sick and tired of violence in what was once a “lovely” town.

“The police came the other day and said ‘did you see the fight between two young girls?’,” a longtime resident said.

“They are really rough and they swear something shocking, using that dreadful expression “motherf … er”.

“I’ve lived here in a commission house for over 50 years. Casino used to be a lovely quiet place, but it’s not any more.”

Another local said they, too, were sick of the constant fighting on their street.

“I don’t know why but this always seems to be the place where they do it,” the resident said.

“We try to stay clear of it, but something has to be done about it, it’s out of control.”

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