Youths arrested on St Kilda foreshore after dramatic confrontation with police
Armed riot police confronted youths in St Kilda in tense scenes, arresting two overnight. The arrests come after the “cowardly” and “vicious” attack on restaurant staff on the foreshore earlier this month.
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A teen allegedly threw a rock at police when tensions boiled over in another night of trouble on St Kilda’s foreshore.
Armed riot police surrounded groups of young people on the beach Monday night when quiet gatherings showed signs of getting out of control.
Their action was part of a plan to crack down on anti-social behaviour at the busy beach following recent violence by young revellers.
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Locals and traders are stepping up their fight for a beach booze ban in the wake of brawls and street robberies — and a petition goes before Port Phillip Council on Wednesday night.
Police investigating Monday’s incident said about 150 youths were involved in the unruly behaviour and many had been drinking.
They expect to charge a 17-year-old they say threw a rock at a policeman’s chest. An 18-year-old was arrested for drug possession.
Hundreds of locals, backpackers, families and groups of teens had gathered at the beach on Monday to escape the 30C heat.
Public Order Response teams monitored a crowd of youths of mixed backgrounds, some of whom became aggressive as they dispersed.
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Superintendent Philip Green said passers-by had become fearful after seeing large groups wrestling and confronting members of the public.
He warned that authorities would take swift action to interrupt troublemakers.
“If you get a large group of young people being raucous, running and chasing one another and wrestling, it is fairly understandable why people become concerned and threatened by that,” Supt Green said.
Police have clashed with youths on Melbourne's St Kilda foreshore - arresting two of them. @msanto92 #9News pic.twitter.com/S4h3f9h8ay
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) November 20, 2018
Just witnessed disgraceful scenes at the St.Kilda foreshore. Gangs attacking people and the police! There are about 50 of them and about 20 Police trying to contain them! But there are no gangs in Melbourne are there?!?! - Go to the St.Kilda foreshore Mr Andrews NOW!! #VicVotes
— Jim Mellas (@jimmellas) November 19, 2018
“If you come to St Kilda or any part of Victoria and through your own choice you want to be unruly and confrontational, or cause people to feel alarmed, then police will identify you, we will intervene and we will hold you to account.”
Witness Dominic was at the Stokehouse with his family celebrating the end of exams when he saw a group of youths.
“Over the course of the evening we’d watched African youths gathering around Donovans and Stokehouse and we then left the restaurant at about 10pm,” he told 3AW.
While walking to his car, he became ‘extremely nervous’ when he saw two groups of youths — one at the front of the carpark and another near the grassed area.
Dominic said he’d never return to St Kilda for dinner and was ‘frightened’ by the ordeal.
“I’m really peeved today that our civil liberties are being eroded the way they are, there’s something wrong here,” he said.
“I’m 6 ft 3, I’m very fit. I can handle myself, I’m well-educated and I was very, very scared.”
Up to 15 African youths had fled after bashing chef Daniel Maetzing near Donovan’s in the early hours of November 2.
The latest arrests come after the “cowardly” attack and robbery on two people in separate incidents at the foreshore on November 2.
The group confronted by police on Monday night was made up of males and females from different backgrounds, including caucasian Australians and African-Australians.
Witnesses told how one young African man came to sit down in the group on the beach moments before officers swooped and surrounded him, shouting.
One young woman said she was with a group of males and they were enjoying the beach and not causing any trouble.
She said the police appeared to be targeting one particular young man who joined in the rest of the crowd late.
The youth was later seen being led to a divvy van.
“They (the young men) were really nice,” the woman said.
“They weren’t doing anything.
“Police came and all pointed their guns at us … we freaked out.”
Other beachgoers who were there celebrating the end of year 12 exams said they didn’t see any violence.
“We saw a bunch of police in riot gear,” one teen said.
“They had full riot gear and guns … like paint guns (pellet guns).
“There was a lot of police here.
“They said they were here because there was a big group of people.”