Darwin axe fight captured in broad daylight on suburban street

Shocking video footage has emerged of an axe fight breaking out on a suburban street in broad daylight.

Shocking footage has emerged of a broad daylight axe fight in a suburban street, as the Northern Territory’s crime problem rages on and the Alice Springs mayor says it’s “scary to live” there.

The video, taken in Darwin, shows a group of men and women run at each other while at least three males hold tomahawk axes.

After a tense stand-off between the axe-wielding men, a bystander appears to step in and break them apart as children watch on.

Yelling continues for several minutes after the group begins to dissipate, the footage - obtained by the Australian newspaper - shows.

The fight reportedly took place just 15 minutes from the CBD, in the suburb of Moil.

The axe fight erupted on a suburban Darwin street. Source: The Australian

It came amid calls from the Territory government for Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker to step down.

Darwin is far from the only NT community to be impacted by alcohol-fuelled violence, with Alice Springs having been plagued by the issue in recent months.

Alcohol sale restrictions in Alice Springs were enforced in late January, which included trialling takeaway alcohol-free days and limiting trading hours of bottle shops.

Darwin locals have expressed fear that people are being driven into their city as they chase more lenient laws.

Radio presenter, Ben Fordham, listed the wave of towns being impacted to his 2GB listeners.

“Sadly all hell has broken loose in the NT this weekend again,” he said.

“In Tennant Creek, vandals have gone on the rampage, breaking into buildings and smashing everything in sight. In Katherine, there is now a petition doing the rounds to introduce a curfew”.

Fordham played a passionate plea from Alice Springs local Darren Clarke for the Prime Minister to pay a visit, saying that not only has the issue spread to other towns but Alice Springs isn’t getting any better.

A group of men were seen running after others with the weapons. Source: The Australian

“Prime Minister, if you’re listening mate, this would’ve been a great weekend to come up,” he said.

“I could’ve told you some stories and we could’ve just waited for what goes one.”

“Something has to change out here. Darwin’s out of control, Katherine’s really bad, Tennant Creek’s never changed. We need some help”.

Fordham read out other reports he had received from NT listeners in recent days, including from Alice Springs, where kids were seen hanging out of stolen cars and shopping malls were broken into.

In Darwin, young people had broken into a string of petrol stations and a Cash Converters store, where they smashed lights, stole goods and hijacked another car, forcing a family out.

“So the dramas continue in the Top End,” Fordham said.

“I know the Prime Minister was there briefly. But locals are saying ‘please come back and this time, spend some time with us. Spend a night at my place so you can really find out what’s going on’.”

Meanwhile, Alice Springs residents wrote an open letter to those responsible for violent crimes, in the latest effort to kerb the trend.

Speaking on the Today show about the open letter, Alice Springs Town Council Mayor Matt Patterson said locals just want people to listen and understand what they’re going through.

“It is scary to live here at times,” Mr Patterson said.

The open letter read: “You have no right to terrorise people in their homes”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles have been contacted for comment.