Alice Springs youth curfew extended until end of school holidays

The NT government has extended Alice Springs’ youth curfew for a further five days, to expire at the end of the school holidays.

Locals in Alice Springs riot in late March afternoon following ceremony of teenager killed while travelling in stolen car. Picture: Supplied

The Northern Territory government has extended Alice Springs’ youth curfew for a further five days, to expire at the end of the school holidays.

The curfew was implemented at the end of March after more than 100 people ­rioted in Alice Springs and cornered one of the town’s most popular pubs, which police said at the time they did not have the resources to control. It will now expire 6am on Tuesday, April 16.

The riot on March 27 saw parts of Alice Springs in lockdown over what sources claimed was “payback” for the death of a young man who died after a stolen car overturned on March 8.

CCTV revealed by The Australian showed a group attempting to smash the windows of a popular pub, pelting bricks and throwing their bodies at glass doors as workers try to barricade themselves in on the other side, following a ceremony for the 18-year-old who was killed. For weeks, locals in Alice Springs had feared a war would begin between families seeking payback against the driver of the vehicle.

The Australian was told the pack was seeking revenge on someone associated with stealing the vehicle. Payback, in Indigenous parlance, is a form of vendetta aimed at settling a grievance over a death, adultery or disagreement.

New unseen CCTV: A violent riot through the streets of Alice Springs on Tuesday has ramped up calls for a total federal government takeover of the town, with the mayor calling for the territory’s government to temporarily step aside.

Full story: https://t.co/armSNTtaBRpic.twitter.com/1GXJCZxjrQ

— Liam Mendes (@liammendes) March 27, 2024

Later that day, 150 people gathered at Hidden Valley town camp “armed … and engaging in violent conduct,” police said.

NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler has been on the ground in Alice Springs twice since the implementation of the curfew, assessing its impact.

“We’ve seen very encouraging results with the introduction of the curfew, and even after it has ended (service providers) will continue to work together much closer than they have been doing before the youth curfew,” she said on Tuesday afternoon.

“We will continue to provide updates to the community on the arrangements that will be put in place when the curfew ends.”

A spokesperson for the NT opposition called for an extension until the end of April, and that breaches of the curfew should carry consequences.

“The curfew can’t just be a drop off service, forcing our police to run around in circles. It has to be a curfew with consequences,” Country Liberal Party spokesman Bill Yan said.

“If the police are picking up the same kids over and over again, there must be a trigger that forces Territory Families to go in and hold the parents accountable through income management.

“At risk youth should be referred to appropriate residential care, to ensure they are involved with diversion programs. Importantly, these kids should be made to go to school,” he said.

It comes as the government announced almost two dozen police officers will be sent to central Australia from South Australia after a request from the Northern Territory police commissioner.

More to come