Watch: Damage at Alice Springs’ Todd Tavern as large group attempts to bust down door, curfew declared

The Northern Territory has enacted a strict curfew in Alice Springs after declaring an “emergency situation” in troubled regional town.

Northern Territory’s Chief Minister has enacted a strict curfew after declaring an “emergency situation” in Alice Springs.

The two-week curfew, which applies to people under 18 from 6pm to 6am, comes after troubling footage emerged on Tuesday showing the moment a large group appears to beat at the doors of an Alice Springs tavern as a publican braves broken glass to keep them out.

The incident sparked locals and leaders to call for urgent help to their troubled regional city.

In the footage released on community action group “Action for Alice”, a large man is shown standing at the door of Todd Tavern, jamming it shut with his foot.

Multiple youngsters repeatedly kick and throw objects at the glass, almost completely shattering it.

Locals in Alice Springs rioted on Tuesday afternoon. Picture: Supplied

The Todd tavern in central Alice Springs had its doors smashed in. Picture: Supplied

By the end of the 20-second clip filmed on Tuesday afternoon, the glass is all but completely smashed and the heavy-duty door’s metal frames are bent and twisted.

A separate video shows people inside the tavern frantically calling authorities for help as a brick is pelted at a window.

More photos from the incident show at least three nearby cars with their windows and panels beaten and smashed.

It has been reported that over 100 people took to the streets on Tuesday, wreaking havoc after a funeral ceremony for a teenager who died when an allegedly stolen car crashed in recent weeks.

Footage also showed bricks thrown at windows. Picture: Supplied

The footage has stirred up anger. Picture: Supplied

In response, a two-week youth curfew has been announced for the entire CBD of Alice Springs.

“The community have had enough, and so have I,” Chief Minister Eva Lawler said on Wednesday.

“This is why we are sending an additional 58 police officers to Alice Springs, and they will be leaving as soon as possible.”

The curfew will apply from 6pm to 6am, during which time anyone under 18 seen in the town centre “will be taken home or taken to a safe place”, Ms Lawler announced.

Ms Lawler said she and police minister, Brent Potter would travel to Alice Springs on Thursday.

“The scenes yesterday in Alice Springs were horrific, unacceptable and we never want to see anything like that again in the Northern Territory,” she said.

“I’m fed up with this level of crime and anti-social behaviour. The community has had enough and so have I.

“My government is determined to get on top of the issues, the youth issues in particular in Alice Springs.”

The news comes a little over a year since the city made national headlines with its spiralling anti-social behaviour.

On the Action for Alice page, it was apparent that fed-up locals felt little had changed.

“Where’s Albo? In Canberra patting himself on the back for limiting their access to Alcohol,” one quipped in reference to the federal government’s 2022 efforts at curbing crime in Alice Springs.

Pictures quickly emerged of the aftermath at Todd Tavern. Picture: Supplied

The damage bill is estimated at $30,000. Picture: Supplied

“Great for tourism,” said another in jest.

Another added: “Unfortunately another example of minors knowing the youth justice system is broken.”

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Patterson described the Tuesday afternoon incident as a “national embarrassment” and yet again called for federal government intervention.

“That is absolute senseless destruction in our town, and it’s frightening,” he told the ABC.

“Who knows what would have happened if they had gotten to Todd Tavern.”

Nearby cars were also smashed up. Picture: Supplied

The state of crime in Alice Springs has been labelled a ‘national embarrassment’. Picture: Supplied

Police seized more than 50 weapons on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

“It may sound dramatic, but I’ve called for the federal government to step in here. They need to overrule the territory government and step in because this is dangerous, it’s scary.

“This is not an attack on the Chief Minister, or Labor or Liberal, I don’t really care.

“What we’ve shown over the last 14 years is we are too immature as a jurisdiction to run ourselves.

“If you have a look at what happened yesterday, that is not Australia. That is a national embarrassment.”

Responding to the riot from Canberra, Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said a “riot squad” was needed to restore law and order in Alice Springs.

“I would like to see our authorities, the Territory government, do whatever it takes, whether they need to bring in a riot squad,” Ms Price told Sky News Australia.

“There needs to be calm, there needs to be peace … we can’t see it get any worse than it already is.”

More than 50 weapons were seized on Tuesday across several incidents in Alice Springs, according to NT Police Acting Assistant Commissioner James Gray-Spence.

Two people were arrested for engaging in violent conduct and damage to property.

The bill for Todd Tavern has so far been estimated at $30,000.

“We had rocks thrown at our vehicle at the same time while we were restoring order as a result of our attendance,” assistant commissioner Gray-Spence said.