NSW: Incidents mar Australia Day celebrations
By Vincent Morello26 Jan 2009 10:12 PM
Eds: Takes in Brawl Qld
SYDNEY, Jan 26 AAP - Violence and ugly portrayals of patriotism have marred Australia Day celebrations across NSW and in Queensland.
A group of 80 young people paced up and down the pedestrian corso of Sydney's northern beachside suburb of Manly with their shirts off and some draped in Australian flags.
Local police and the riot squad rushed to the area about 2.30pm (AEDT) and arrested five 16-year-old males before the mob dispersed nearly two hours later.
"We had a group of people from another location that came into Manly," Superintendent Dave Darcy told AAP.
"They were very exuberant and loud and chanting the Aussie slogan (Aussie, Aussie Aussie ... oi, oi oi)."
The group walked up and down the 300m-long corso a number of times but things turned ugly when they jumped up and down on cars that were stopped at a traffic light.
A teenage girl sustained minor injuries when three people jumped onto the roof of one car, causing the rear window to explode and shower the girl with glass.
Two males jumped on the roof and bonnet on another car and police were told others did the same to a taxi but no one was caught in the act.
"There were some instances where cars were damaged and we're investigating them," Supt Darcy said.
While the group was in the corso, a few rowdy individuals entered a 7-11 shop but left without causing any damage or injury.
The shopkeeper of another premises allegedly caught two 16-year-old males shoplifting and detained them.
A struggle ensued but arriving police who arrested the pair released them with a caution after the man refused to give a statement to the officers.
Another youth was arrested and cautioned for offensive behaviour at Manly beach and two others were arrested for fighting. All three were aged 16.
Supt Darcy said the incident was just "exuberance" gone wrong by a handful of people.
"The assaults were not racially motivated and police had observed people of all different ethnic backgrounds walking past this group and not being challenged," he said.
"The reality is that it (the Manly corso) has challenging moments on a Friday and Saturday night but after that it's fine."
At Sutherland train station, in Sydney's south, a brawl erupted about 5pm, which resulted in one arrest and minor injuries to two people.
Police also attended an unruly crowd about 5.30pm at Lake Ainsworth, near Byron Bay on the far north coast of NSW.
A police spokesman would not specify details but confirmed officers were attending to several issues at the picnic areas surrounding the lake.
"We've got people going out there," he told AAP.
"There's a lot going on."
There were also reports of officers being pelted with objects.
Police also confirmed similar problems at Port Macquarie, on the NSW north coast, and at Shellharbour, on the NSW south coast, but were unable to provide details.
A Queensland Police spokesman said dozens of alcohol-fuelled teenage boys sparked a number of violent confrontations at a beach on the Gold Coast.
One person was arrested near the surf club at Burleigh Beach, a popular family destination, at 3.30pm (AEST) on Monday.
It was estimated that up to 1,000 people witnessed the brawls.
